Someone appears to have filed a fraudulent elections statement saying that Tony Khan, the son of Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan, is a candidate for Congress.
A statement of candidacy filed last September with the Federal Election Commission lists Khan as a Democrat in Florida's 4th Congressional District, currently represented by Republican Rep. John Rutherford of Jacksonville.
Jacksonville Today reported the filing Thursday morning, and media across the country picked up the story, sparking a blaze on social media. Khan then tweeted that he definitely is not running.
The fact checking standard for @ProFootballTalk reporting is far lower than that of @AEW’s roving reporter @tonyschiavone24. I’m definitely not running for Congress; this filing is faker than Eddie Gilbert’s apology to Tommy Rich in 1984. PFT sources as trustworthy as @The_MJF. https://t.co/HPdU53GrfY
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) February 10, 2022
Anyone can file a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission, even under a phony name. But the filing does not make the individual a formal candidate.
According to the FEC, “An individual running for the House, Senate or President becomes a candidate when they raise or spend more than $5,000 in contributions or expenditures.”
The state of Florida would require Khan to raise at least $10,440 or file a formal petition with at least 2,568 signatures to run for the U.S. House. Florida’s deadline to qualify for 2022 congressional races is June 17, 2022.
Whoever filed the statement of candidacy in Khan's name has not filed any financial reports, and Khan is not listed as a current candidate in the race.
The filing listed All Elite Wrestling LLC, a promotional company Khan founded, as his campaign committee. The address listed is 1 TIAA Bank Field Drive, where he is an executive vice president with the Jaguars.
All Elite Wrestling did not respond Tuesday to requests for comment.
It is a federal crime to submit a fake election filing, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine.
