'Classless' Jack Chambers 'threw Jim Gavin under the bus', say Fianna Fáil TDs

Fianna Fáil presidential candidate Jim Gavin arriving at the Customs House in Dublin on September 19 to formally lodge his presidential nomination papers along with Fianna Fáil Deputy Leader and Director of Elections Jack Chambers. 'Jack threw Jim under the bus,” one party source said. File photo: Leah Farrell / © RollingNews.ie

Fianna Fáil deputy leader Jack Chambers has been branded “classless” by party colleagues over his handling of the Jim Gavin controversy.

Several members of the party told the Irish Examiner that the public expenditure minister “threw Mr Gavin under the bus”. Some suggested he would be “severely damaged” by the fiasco.

Mr Gavin dramatically pulled out of the presidential election on Sunday evening after he admitted to making a “mistake” following a report in the Irish Independent suggesting that he did not repay rent overpayments to his tenant worth €3,300.

On Monday morning Mr Chambers, Fianna Fáil’s director of elections, went on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland to say the first time the party became aware of the issue was when it received a press query on Thursday.

“On Saturday, the tenant in question contacted the party and said they did have records relating to this particular issue, and that was contrary to what the party had been told [by Mr Gavin] and what had been said on Friday,” he said.

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Several TDs and senators told the

Irish Examiner

there is growing anger within the party with Mr Chambers, with some arguing he "can't distance himself from Jim Gavin".

"He was director of elections, he backed him and asked us to do the same. If there was a mistake, it was his mistake,” they added. Several members of the parliamentary party were angry over Mr Chambers going on national radio and “blaming Jim Gavin”.

“Jack threw Jim under the bus,” one party source said. “What Jack did was wrong [on radio]. He just completely distanced himself. It was classless.”

Another member of the party suggested “Jack got Jim's carcass, vroomed in on top of it and then reversed the car”. They added: “Jack and [Taoiseach] Micheál [Martin] made this man, and now we’re at a point where it’s all Jim’s fault.”

Another TD added: 

You know what's bad? Jack fucking Chambers going out, shitting on the man he found in an interview. I think that was so wrong.

One Fianna Fáil source said Mr Chambers' position as deputy leader is under question. "He's supposed to be able to see problems coming. I've no idea how this was missed."

Asked if they believed Mr Chambers could lose that position, one source said it was possible, but not likely.

However, another TD argued his “star was already on the decline” before this controversy broke, suggesting he may no longer be seen as the next Fianna Fáil leader in waiting.

On RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, MEP Barry Andrews criticised Mr Chambers and said he did not want to see Mr Gavin “thrown under a bus”.

“I listened to an interview this morning where Jack Chambers sort of implied that the party was misled and I think that is unfortunate,” Mr Andrews said. “I’m not sure that we carried out the appropriate due diligence.”