State attorney candidate makes claims on opponents personnel records

The race to be your next top prosecutor is turning ugly. Both candidates continue to trade insults and accusations about the other’s record.

Last week, WINK News investigated Chris Crowley’s personnel file while he was at the state attorney’s office.

Flanked by law enforcement Friday, Amira Fox promised to take on accused cop killer Wisner Desmaret on behalf of the State Attorney’s Office

Representing the State Attorney’s Office is a familiar role for Fox. Along with current State Attorney Stephen Russell, she’s served as the public face of the office since she was first named chief assistant state attorney in 2015.

Her opponent Chris Crowley has used that fact to connect her with what he calls the corruption within the office

A review of Fox’s personnel file that spans her 20+ years at the SAO reveals only positive reviews.

She received 12 letters of commendation from individuals and organizations outside the office.
On her annual performance reviews–she never scored below “Good”

But Crowley is pointing to a book written by Fox’s father. In it, Taher Dajani claims State Attorney Russell asked his daughter to resign in 2002 after she campaigned for his then opponent Marshall Bower.

Fox did resign from the office shortly after the 2002 election, but she says it was on good terms.

In a statement she said “It was an amicable parting. Mr. Russel and I remained friendly throughout my time in private practice. This is evidenced by Mr. Russell asking me to return to one of the highest positions at the state attorney’s office in 2012.

Russell says he met with Fox and other executive staff after the election to discuss future plans for the SAO, but Fox chose to enter private practice before he ever took office

Crowley is doubling down on those claims that Fox was forced out for campaigning for Steve Russell’s opponent.

Chris Crowley said in a statement, “Ironically, Amira Fox now has a pending ethics complaint before the state ethics board for illegally campaigning for elected office during state time and utilizing state resources in 2017. We need to stop this corruption and we need change at the State Attorney’s Office.”

We reached out to the Florida Commission on ethics. They told us they could neither confirm nor deny they had received a complaint about Fox.

Amira Fox tells WINK News, “The ethics complaint referenced by Mr. Crowley was filed by his close friend. It is baseless and false, consistent with his long line of untruthful, disgraceful, and shameful claims.”