Saturday, August 18, 2012

What Should You Have Known About Trustee Duncan and Why Did McElroy Cover It Up?

You know a lot about the allegations of Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett's estranged and unemployed wife concerning the campaign funds of his 2010 Mayoral campaign. You have been subjected to these details because the Mayor's estranged & unemployed wife's chief supporter and cheerleader "Napoleon Jack" of E.W. Scripps owned Knoxville News Sentinel Editorial department.

What you also know is that "Napoleon Jack's" favorite weakly columnist Pam Strickland has filed a complaint with the District Attorney General & is headed to the State Election Authority.

Here is a story on campaign irregularity that "Napoleon Jack" has kept from you.

Our Knox County Trustee John Duncan (who took office on September 1, 2010, the same day as Mayor Burchett) was assessed a $10,000 civil penalty fine by the State of Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance's Ethics Committee.

According to the October 20, 2011 agenda of the Tennessee Ethics Commission they met at 9 a.m. The second item was 2 Reconsiderations. One of the two reconsiderations was a Request of Reconsideration on John Duncan case 2010-142.

According to the minutes of the October 20, 2011 meeting of the Tennessee Ethics Commission.

John Duncan - 2010-142 (candidate for Trustee - Knox County) Mr. Duncan filed his Statement of Interest and also submitted a statement to the Commission. Mr. Jaynes moved to waive the assessed civil penalty of $10,000 and Mr. Hardeman seconded. The motion passed 4-0

The four members present were Greg Hardeman, George Jaynes, Jim Stranch and Tammy White. Apparently members R. Larry Brown and Pamela B. Martin were not present.

As our Trustee, Duncan is the individual that collects our taxes and ensures our tax dollars are cared for. Does the public have a right to know that he is/was assessed a civil penalty of $10,000? If the issue of the CTAS exams and awarding of unearned bonuses had come to light in December 2011 on the heels of reporting the assessed civil penalty of $10,000 fine surely E.W. Scripps owned News Sentinel would have encouraged a filing of an ouster suit like their "Napoleon Jack" did against Commissioners Paul Pinkston and Scott Moore.

For some reason, "Napoleon Jack" covered this one up.

Here are photographs of the 2 pages of minutes from the October 20, 2011 meeting, the Agenda from the October 20, 2011 meeting and a close up photograph of the John Duncan, Trustee minute recording.

Why does Publisher Patrick Birmingham allow this newspaper to play favorites for one official and use the power of the ink against another.

By the way, Duncan has gotten divorced and engaged since September 1, 2010. But that has barely been mentioned in the News Sentinel. However, a lot of ink has been used in the News Sentinel on the allegations of Mayor Burchett's estranged and unemployed wife's allegations.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wasn't R. Larry Smith was told to "back off" by Congressman Duncan? Napolian Jack could have just as easily been told to back off, particularly if representatives from his largest Friday subscriber joined in that chorus of back off.

Bottom line is not bias, it's just rank prejudice, depending on how these elected officeholder affect the "policy" and "agenda" espounsed by the KNS editorial board.

Anonymous said...

Daddy has them by the short hairs...