UPDATE 5/24/2018 6:30 am yesterday at 4:30 pm concluded the seven business days for Knox County to respond to my Open Records Request. Since they failed to do so, I am inclined to Open Records Request the two non profits for payment instrument (check) that was used for the $9,900 and $10,000.
The precedent for this was when a former staffer of the previous Mayoral Administration was run out of office and prosecuted for using county tax dollars to benefit non profits that the person supported. In the opinion of everyone aware of this situation, history is repeating itself and all for political aspirations of the elected official. Stay tuned.
UPDATE 10 pm 5/21/2018, I’ve been told by an atttendee of the dinner that Mr. and Mrs. Dean Rice were at the Moxley Carmichael table. At the Knox County table were Knox County Directors Mark Jones, Dwight Van de Vate and Mayor mouthpiece Mike Grider.
This past Monday May 14, 2018, I open record requested about the chart (below) It is from a high brow dinner and a Tennessee Theater event benefiting the Lincoln Memorial University’s Duncan School of Law and the East TN Historical Society. At dinner held at the Knoxville Hilton that Cynthia Moxley reported here on her blog was $300 a plate dinner, before the less expensive $55 per ticket event at the Tennessee Theater.
Chart of Sponsors at Ken Burns Event, list Tim Burchett at $9,900 and Knox County Finance Director Chris Caldwell at $10,000
Any expenditure over $10,000 supposedly requires Knox County Commission approval. The reason for my open records request is to inform you the readers of BrianHornback.Com if your tax dollars were used for a $300 a plate dinner or for something else in accordance with the event. If Knox County grants my open records request, I should receive the information by May 23, 2018. However, I suspect they will deny the request as the County Mayor is running for Congress and they would view this as political. Although, it isn’t.
Based on the photographs on Ms. Moxley blog the only County Mayor employee she posted are the Mayor’s Chief of Staff and his wife. It is possible that the Rice’s paid their own way. We are only asking Knox County for an explanation of the two listed expenditures. A unconfirmed source associated with one of the two entities that benefited from the dinner has provided an indication that there was very likely a $9,900 Knox County check. Hopefully, Knox County will be transparent in the process and allow us to shine a light for all to see.
Screen capture of Moxley’s blog post, which identifies the dinner price of $300 a plate.
screen capture of Moxley’s blog that shows the County Mayor’s Chief of Staff and wife enjoying the $300 a plate dinner. *the Rice’s may have paid their own way, which would be very commendable. I will be happy to report that they did, if they did.
