Defeated State Comptroller Lands On His Feet

By Kleinheider Posted on January 16, 2009 at 8:58 am

Yesterday, he was ousted from his long time job as the state’s Comptroller of the Treasury. Today, he is the new Deputy Governor. Ken Whitehouse breaks the story:

John Morgan, Tennessee’s former state comptroller, will be appointed deputy governor by Gov. Phil Bredesen, according to NashvillePost.com sources.

UPDATE: The official release

permalink | Comment on this post

Tags: Deputy Governor, John Morgan, Justin Wilson, Phil Bredesen, Stuart Brunson  

Outgoing Comptroller John Morgan Says Goodbye

By Kleinheider Posted on January 15, 2009 at 11:54 am

From 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.”

permalink | 2 Comments

Tags: Comptroller, constitutional officers, John Morgan, Justin Wilson  

Naifeh Republican Will Vote For Democratic Comptroller

By Kleinheider Posted on January 12, 2009 at 12:04 pm

Andy 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.

permalink | 1 Comment

Tags: Comptroller, constitutional officers, Jimmy Naifeh, John Morgan, Justin Wilson, Kent Williams