U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn.Forty percent of U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann’s total re-election contributions of more than $700,000 came from political action committees, a fact one of his primary opponents pounced upon Wednesday.
“You have to question who Fleischmann’s allegiances are with, based on him taking all this PAC money,” said Weston Wamp, 24, the son of former congressman Zach Wamp.
But Fleischmann’s campaign called a $5,000 gift Weston Wamp received from leftover funds in his father’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign a PAC donation itself — the $4 million the elder Wamp raised included $62,510 from more than a dozen PACs across the country.
Fleischmann was unavailable for comment Wednesday. Chip Saltsman, Fleischmann’s chief of staff, said the younger Wamp’s criticism showed hypocrisy and said “he should probably return” his father’s $5,000 contribution.
“He attacks us on PAC money — he’s got PAC money,” Saltsman said. “If we say, ‘It’s a pretty day in Chattanooga,’ he’s going to say, ‘No, it’s not.’ We’re going to see this, which is very sad, for the next couple months. It’ll be him just constantly attacking Chuck for everything.”