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Fox says he’ll pull out of GOP race

Ex-county official who’s awaiting trial, says he plans to withdraw from central committee spot.

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By Josh Sweigart, Staff Writer Updated 12:19 AM Thursday, March 11, 2010

HAMILTON — While awaiting his trial on federal corruption charges, Michael A. Fox flirted with the idea of running for election again.

Fox — former Butler County commissioner, state lawmaker and Children Services director — is listed as a candidate for the local Republican Party Central Committee.

Fox said he has been on party committees since 1970, and filed to run out of habit when he moved to his new precinct in Oxford. He thought it was an empty seat. He decided to withdraw his name from the race, he said, once he realized the seat was held by his friend and longtime incumbent Jack Cohen.

“I’m going to (withdraw) this week,” he said. “The last thing I want in my life is a contested race.”

As for whether Fox was worried about being on a ballot while facing federal charges, he said “I’m optimistic about how we’ll ultimately fare. I’m still the same person that spent my life working to help people in this county and making this county a better place to be,” he said.

Fox’s trial has been postponed indefinitely, pending the U.S. Supreme Court’s consideration of other cases that could impact the statute under which he’s charged.

Fox and co-defendant Robert C. Schuler were indicted in October on charges that include improperly benefiting from a contract between Schuler’s company and Butler County when Fox was commissioner. The indictment also alleges both men failed to report the income on federal tax returns.

Both pleaded not guilty in November to an eight-count indictment charging them with conspiring to improperly benefit from the $2.75-million fiber-optics contract with the county. Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2175 or jsweigart@coxohio.com.

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