KNOXVILLE, TENN. – April 4, 2018 – Knox County Mayoral Candidate Glenn Jacobs is, again, calling for accountability and transparency in local government, including candidates for office. He continues to stand firm on the fact that Knoxville and Knox County residents deserve better than backroom politicking.
“I applaud the Ethics Committee for doing their best in working toward a swift resolution of this matter despite all the obstacles put in their way,” Jacobs said. “This whole process has been a farce. It illustrates that Knox County ‘good ole boy’ politics trumps transparency in government. It speaks volumes to how casually Commissioners Busler and Thomas are taking this issue when they fail to show up for their scheduled hearing. Moreover, the mishandling of this investigation is costing Knox County tax payers the longer it carries on.”
Jacobs cited the interference the Knox County Law Director created by stalling the complaint with an internal investigation rather than handing it over to the Ethics Committee, as directed by County policy, as an example of why public trust in government is waning.
“From the beginning, every effort has been made to ignore, trivialize or dismiss legitimate questions about serious issues including violation of the state’s Sunshine provisions and a conflict of interest concerning awarding a County contract,” Jacobs added. “What’s worse is that a citizen filed a legitimate complaint on two elected officials and the local government immediately placed the burden of proof on the citizen.”
For Jacobs, it’s time for the charade to end. “For seven months, Commissioners Busler and Thomas have professed their innocence and that it’s an open-and-shut case, but when they finally have a chance to prove it, they request more time to prepare their case.
To function effectively, governments must maintain a high level of public trust. Elected officials must be held to the highest ethical standards. Even perceived malfeasance must be addressed quickly and in a transparent manner. In this case, the system has failed miserably.
How can we possibly expect the people of Knox County to trust their elected officials with things like this going on?”
Jacobs is a Republican candidate for Knox County Mayor. A career with WWE spanning nearly 25 years has afforded Jacobs the opportunity to perform in front of millions of fans across the United States and in over 40 countries around the world but he has chosen East Tennessee as his home. He is a resident of East Tennessee of over 20 years and a small business owner. His business, Jacobs Insurance Associates, is the local champion of the Kindness Revolution, a national anti-bullying initiative. Along with his wife Crystal, he founded Kane’s Crusaders, a non-profit organization with the mission of bringing joy to the chronically ill teenagers of East Tennessee. Jacobs also serves on the advisory council at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital as well as the board of the Halls/Powell Boys and Girls Club.
