Why The Constitutional Officer Elections Went So Smooth
Posted on January 16, 2009 at 11:18 amDemocrats were given the order to stand down and let it happen:
In the Democratic caucus preceding the vote, Minority Leader Gary Odom confirmed the inevitable election of the Republican officers, cautioning his Democratic colleagues against contentious statements on the House floor. Odom told caucus members that the jobs of veteran staff members were at stake.
Republican Justin P. Wilson, following his election as comptroller, said that he had no intention of immediately replacing staff. The immediate past comptroller, John Morgan, has promised his assistance in the transition to Wilson. Whether current staff will be retained in other constitutional offices is still unclear.
Outgoing Comptroller John Morgan Says Goodbye
Posted on January 15, 2009 at 11:54 amFrom a press release:
Outgoing Comptroller of the Treasury John Morgan released a statement of farewell along with a congratulatory message to new comptroller-elect Justin Wilson, who was elected today during a joint convention of both Houses to assume the position.
Morgan extended his gratitude to the members of the General Assembly for putting their confidence in him for the last 10 years. “It has been an honor to serve them and the people of Tennessee,” he remarked.
Morgan will officially depart his role as comptroller immediately but plans to make himself available to assist Wilson if requested. “I want to extend my sincere congratulations to Justin Wilson and assure him that I plan to help him with a seamless transition into this leadership role,” says Morgan. Statutes prescribe the comptroller’s duties, the most important of which relate to audit of state and local government entities and participation in the general financial and administrative management of state government.
Morgan stated that the office’s management staff has committed its full support and cooperation to Wilson and is prepared to provide him with transition plans. “The employees of the comptroller’s office work each day to improve the quality of life for all Tennesseans by making government work better,” says Morgan. “Justin Wilson can be confident that the staff will continue to uphold the office’s core values of honesty and integrity; accuracy and reliability; and accountability, values that I believe he shares.”
Morgan stated that he has complete faith and confidence that the transition will be smooth and that the staff will continue, as always, to take organizational responsibility for the work they collectively perform. “I have had the opportunity to lead a very dedicated group of individuals. The foundation and reputation of the office is based upon the passionate commitment, knowledge, and expertise of our employees,” states Morgan. “I am proud of the collective work these employees produce and the integrity with which they perform their duties. While I am saddened to leave behind such an extraordinary staff, I part with many fond memories and lasting friendships. It’s been an unbelievable experience.”
Republicans Sweep Constitutional Officers Elections
Posted on at 11:43 amAnd there was much rejoicing. From TNGOP Communications Guru Bill Hobbs:
The Tennessee Republican Party adds its voice today to those praising the election of a new Secretary of State, Comptroller and Treasurer for the great state of Tennessee.
The legislature, meeting in joint session today, elected Secretary of State Tre Hargett, Comptroller Justin Wilson and Treasured David Lillard, the constitutional officer nominees selected by an unprecedented selection process designed by the new Republican legislative majority. That process included an open application period and public hearings.
During the last 140 years of Democratic control of the legislature and, therefore, the process of selecting constitutional officers, there was no public application or vetting process and no opportunity for public input. In recent years, the bitter fruit of that backroom-deal style of politics was evident as the Democratic appointees in those positions became increasingly partisan and politicized.
“Secretary of State Hargett, Comptroller Wilson and Treasurer Lillard are all fine public servants of high personal, professional and ethical standards and achievements who have already served their state well, and Tennessee is blessed to have them serving now in these very important roles,” said Robin Smith, Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party. “The open and honest selection process created by the Republican majority has served the state well.”
Inside The House Democratic Caucus Meeting
Posted on at 10:35 amCara Kumari reports that Democrats seem to be resigned to defeat in the constitutional officer elections:
They are also asking their members to not get up and speak about the Republican candidates. They want to be “classier” than the way things were handled by the other side on Tuesday. Apparently, the Democrats tried very hard to work a deal to keep Sims on as State Treasurer, but that it simply wasn’t going to happen. They said they can’t put this off any longer, they have to elect the constitutional officers. So it looks like Republicans are going to emerge victorious for this session.
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Comptroller Candidate Claims Attorney-Client Privilege
Posted on at 8:06 amFormer Deputy Governor Justin Wilson cites confidentiality as the reason he cannot disclose what he knew and when regarding certain events in Sundquist administration:
Conservative talk radio host Steve Gill, himself a lawyer, calls that a bogus claim.
“He was working for the state of Tennessee,” Gill said. “He wasn’t Don Sunquist’s lawyer. He was an employee of the state of Tennessee, and the attorney-client privilege does not apply under those circumstances.”
Still, Republican leaders say they don’t need to ask what Wilson knows about contract fraud under the Republican administration.
“I again have the utmost confidence confidence in him, knowing him personally, having worked with him in state government,” House Republican leader Jason Mumpower said.
“Which doesn’t answer the question: why not ask him about what he knows?” Williams asked.
“There are any number of questions that anyone may or may not have been able to ask. I asked him the questions that I felt were pertinent to the process.”
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Hurry Up And Vote
Posted on January 14, 2009 at 4:55 pmThe TNGOP wants a vote on the constitutional officers before Gary Odom thinks up anymore shenanigans:
The Tennessee Republican Party calls on the new leadership of the state House of Representatives to move swiftly to a vote on the appointment of the state’s three constitutional officers.
The constitutional officers - Secretary of State, Comptroller and Treasurer - are to be elected by the legislature meeting in joint session. The state Senate has already approved the resolution required to meet in joint session with the House but the House, under the leadership of Kent Williams, newly installed as House Speaker by Democrats former Speaker Jimmy Naifeh and House Minority Leader Gary Odom, has not put such a resolution on its agenda. There is no good reason for such a delay.
“Tennessee is in perilous times, facing serious economic, budgetary and other challenges, and yet Speaker Williams is dithering on scheduling a vote on who will fill these very important offices. His delay, likely at the behest of Democrat leaders, is bad for Tennessee and a bad start to his already-controversial speakership,” said Bill Hobbs, communications director for the Tennessee Republican Party. “At a time when Tennessee needs competent leadership from its legislature, Williams is instead playing politics with these important jobs in order to please his new political benefactors on the Democratic side of the aisle.”
Justin Wilson Sits Down With Phil Williams
Posted on at 8:09 amThe controversial Republican state comptroller candidate answers questions about his actions as Deputy Governor during the Sundquist administration and his involvement in lobbying the state to get involved in an investment scheme some have called risky and unethical.
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The Republican Joint Caucus Constitutional Officer Nominees
Posted on January 12, 2009 at 2:55 pmThe Chosen (all first ballot):
State Treasurer: David Lillard
Secretary of State: Tre Hargett
Comptroller: Justin Wilson
More from Ken Whitehouse at NashvillePost.com .
SEE ALSO:
Tom Humphrey
Woods
Matthew Hurtt
Vandy Right
Naifeh Republican Will Vote For Democratic Comptroller
Posted on at 12:04 pmAndy Sher reports:
A Republican House member said today that he plans to support Democrat John Morgan’s bid for another two-year term as comptroller over expected GOP candidate Justin Wilson.
“I’m voting for John Morgan for comptroller,” said Rep. Kent Williams, R-Butler. Mr. Morgan has “been a tremendous help for me and my constituents,” he said “He’s been in that office a long time.”
This move by Williams was telegraphed and GOP bigs have warned the lawmaker that such a vote would mean his expulsion from the party.
Williams has long been a thorn in the side of his party having voted for Speaker Naifeh in the past and getting into public spats with more conservative members.
After the 2008 election gave Republicans a numerical majority, Williams was one of very few Republicans who made noises that he may not support a Republican Speaker. He eventually came around.
This past election cycle Williams had a conservative challenger in the primary whom was supported openly by many members of the Republican caucus. Williams also caught static for accepting campaign cash from a member of the Democratic leadership in the House.
An On Camera Sitdown With Phil Williams Just Before Nominees Are Chosen For Constitutional Offices
Posted on January 11, 2009 at 8:30 pmThis struck State Treasurer candidate Ira Brody as a fine idea. He was wrong.
SEE ALSO: Terry Frank
Death Is The Health Of The State
Posted on January 9, 2009 at 7:19 amFirst time, I ever saw a preacher he said to me, “Son, There’s something strange about you. You’ve got something to do with death.”
Being real young I believed him. Turned out he was right.
~ Napoleon Wilson in Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
Investigative reporter Phil Williams uncovers a scheme, hatched by one constitutional officer candidate and sold by another, to buy life insurance on state employees without their consent with the intent of enriching the state:
[T]ax watchdog Ben Cunningham was stunned by documents — first obtained by NewsChannel 5 Investigates — that detail an investment concept, by one estimate, approaching $7 billion dollars.
It pushed by a company in which Brody is now a partner. To sell it, that company hired Justin Wilson as its lobbyist. Wilson is the top contender for comptroller — in essence, the state’s budget cop, looking over the treasurer’s shoulders.
(State records show Wilson was then registered on behalf of Blue Water Capital LLC, which later became Lilac Capital LLC, then Inscap Insurance Services LLC. Brody is a partner and chief operating officer of Inscap.)
“It is absolutely essential that we have total confidence in whoever takes these positions,” Cunningham said. “For them to have proposed a scheme like this is just … outrageous.”
The documents show that Wilson, acting on behalf of Brody’s company, wanted the state’s retirement plan to do this: buy life insurance on certain older retirees, as much as a half million dollars each. Then when they died, the money would go back to the state.
His presentation notes that it would necessary to do it “without first obtaining the consent of each insured” person — a concept state employees find appalling. (Read Wilson’s proposal.)
“It’s benefiting from death,” said Jim Tucker of the Tennessee State Employees Association. “Without the knowledge and consent of the person, I just think it’s just horribly wrong.”
It was a complicated financial transaction that would have required the state to:
* issue up to $7 billion in bonds (other estimates put it as low as $1.4 billion)
* then use that money to buy a type of life insurance — called an annuity — that makes periodic payouts
* then take those payouts to pay for term life policies from another insurance company.
* When the retirees died, the money would go back into the pension fund.
SEE ALSO:
Tiny Cat Pants
Matthew Hurtt
Sean Braisted
Jimmy Naifeh’s Got Issues
Posted on January 8, 2009 at 11:52 amWith some of the GOP’s prospective candidates for the constitutional offices:
Among the issues Naifeh has with some of the Republicans seeking the posts are questions about their past political practices and experience. He said that he would like to see Justin Wilson, the former aide to Gov. Don Sundquist who is up for comptroller, answer questions about how contracts were awarded when he was in the governor’s office.
Naifeh also said that Tre Hargett, who is up for secretary of state – the position that oversees the Division of Elections – should answer allegations that he removed an opponent’s campaign paraphernalia from cars when he was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives.
Perhaps most interesting, Naifeh called Ira Brody, a candidate for state treasurer, a “political hack” who has thrown money around to Republican candidates in an attempt to get the job.
SEE ALSO: Jeff Woods
Rep. Kent Williams Talking Out Of School Again
Posted on December 22, 2008 at 8:03 amThe moderate Republican firebrand of the legislature talks openly about supporting Democratic candidates for the constitutional offices of Tennessee which TNGOP chair Robin Smith believes would allow the party to remove his name from the Republican ballot in 2010:
“I really think it’s a bad time to be changing,” said Rep. Kent Williams, R-Elizabethton.
Williams said he is undecided about who to support for the constitutional officer positions and will wait until he can evaluate the Republican nominees.
He said the Democrats - Comptroller John Morgan, Secretary of State Riley Darnell and Treasurer Dale Sims - are highly qualified.
“Maybe we’ll have better-qualified candidates,” he said. “But I don’t think party affiliation should matter.”
MORE: Kent Williams keeps talking — this time with Andy Sher:
Rep. Williams questioned why some House Republican Caucus members opposed Rep. Steve McDaniel, R-Lexington, as House speaker pro tem “because he voted for a state income tax.”
“And we’ve got a (Republican) candidate for comptroller who is the godfather of the income tax,” he said.
The lone GOP candidate for comptroller is Justin Wilson, a tax attorney and major GOP donor. He was former Republican Gov. Don Sundquist’s deputy when Mr. Sundquist unsuccessfully pushed for a state income tax.
Humps And Half-Wits
Posted on at 7:14 amThe Governor hopes that Republicans will be very careful about whom they choose to replace our state’s constitutional officers:
Gov. Phil Bredesen said he believes the process is a mix of political window-dressing and genuine effort to identify the best candidate. What’s important, he said, is that Tennessee ends up with the best-qualified money managers amid financial turmoil.
“My only concern is that there could not be a worse time in recent history to put someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing, particularly in one of these two financial jobs, comptroller and treasurer,” he said. “Please give me some people who know what they’re doing here.”
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Oversight Committee
Posted on December 18, 2008 at 11:19 amMick Wright thinks the Republicans in the legislature may need a new censor.
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Big Jim Wants To Have A Word With You
Posted on at 9:16 amAnd then he wants you to have a word with Senator Mark Norris. In an email to supporters, former Sen. Jim Bryson notes that Republicans are accepting public comment in the constitutional officers races and wants his folks to make sure that Norris knows that Bryson would make a fabulous Secretary of State:
The Republican legislative leadership is asking for public comment on the candidates. Senator Mark Norris’ office is collecting those comments and recommendations via email, fax, and phone calls regarding the constitutional offices. Please take time to send your thoughts regarding who you would like to see serving as your next Secretary of State, Comptroller, and Treasurer.
Senator Mark Norris’ Email: sen.mark.norris@legislature.state.tn.us
Senator Mark Norris’ Fax: (615) 253-0194
Senator Mark Norris’ Office Phone: (615) 741-1967
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Cash Rules Everything Around You
Posted on December 17, 2008 at 1:27 pmDavid Oatney’s super secret source on why Vance Cheek has no chance to defeat Ira Brody for the position of State Treasurer:
“Most legislators on both sides of the aisle neither know nor care what it is that these constitutional officers actually do every day. They do know who had given them the most money in the last election. For that reason, your candidate has very little chance to win.”
Talk Radio May Have Inadvertently Wasted Everybody’s Time
Posted on at 1:03 pmGordon Belt on some interesting revelations during the Secretary of State interviews down at the legislature.
Rollins actually admitted during the interview that he applied for the position after hearing about the opening on talk radio the day before the application deadline. He owns a Maaco auto body shop in Nashville, is working on an online Master’s degree, and had absolutely no political experience before applying for the Secretary of State position. I’m sure Mr. Rollins is a nice fellow, but I think he applied for the wrong job. I’d be very surprised if he made the final cut.
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