The Knoxville News Sentinel crafitly tries to make the questions surrounding abuse of office and misappropriation of funds by the County Mayor’s office a “GOP e-mail” conspiracy.  It’s more than that—but in the process, they get the facts wrong.  All along, the desire by the Ragsdale administration has been to make a possible investigation a battle between the Sheriff and the County Mayor.  But the County Commissioners are responsible for the expenditure of funds.  They have the responsibility to investigate:

The e-mails contain party gossip and discussions about a database of political contributors that various Republican candidates sought.

The News Sentinel’s story incorrectly implied that Hutchison had sought the contributor data. The sheriff said he didn’t want the list but that others did.

“I do not politically advertise by e-mail as Ragsdale and a few others do,” the sheriff wrote in a fax to the News Sentinel. “They wanted the e-mails so badly that they were willing to break the law in order to obtain them.”

More here.

Meanwhile, Lloyd Daugherty and Kelvin Moxley of 1180 the Voice have issued a press release regarding a letter they have sent to County Commissioners:

Knox County Commission
Suite 603
City County Building
Knoxville, TN 37902

Dear Commissioners:

On August 20, 2006, The Halls Shopper began a three-part series on past activities of former Knox County employee Tyler Harber.  In that series, Harber made numerous allegations of possible wrong-doing committed at the request and/or knowledge of Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale and/or

Mayor Ragsdale’s Chief of Staff, Mike Arms.

The allegations ranged from:  tampering with wheel-tax petitions, managing political campaigns on county time with county resources, obtaining private medical records of private citizens and surreptitiously obtaining the private electronic communications of Knox County citizens.

Each of these allegations have incriminated Mr. Harber and implicated Mr. Ragsdale and Mr. Arms.  Elements of the allegations have been corroborated or admitted to by either Mr. Ragsdale and/or Mr. Arms and reported in the media. Each of these allegations potentially constitutes serious violations of federal, state and local law.

As is obvious, we have a vested interest in seeing these allegations fully investigated and the findings fully reported.  Mr. Harber alleges he obtained our private medical records, which if true, would constitute a violation of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ( HIPPA), Federal Public Law 104-191 as well as state statutes.  Neither of us are county employees, nor recipients of county health assistance.  The county mayor has no cause or legal right to seek or obtain this information.

Privacy is vitally important to every individual and vigorously guarded.  The public has raised concerns over the federal government’s terrorist surveillance programs and its implications on individual privacy.  We should also be concerned when our elected officials and staffs of our local government allegedly engage in actions that compromise the privacy of its individual citizens.

Regardless of whether you believe, disbelieve or are unsure of the veracity of the accusations, it is indisputable that Mr. Harber’s allegations should be fully examined by an impartial fact-finder.  We ask that the Knox County Commission do its duty and investigate this matter to clear the air and repair public confidence in county government.

Sincerely,

Lloyd C. Daugherty                                        Wm. Kelvin Moxley
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