According to this Big Metal Shed on the Hill Trustee John Duncan has lawyered up. Duncan has engaged the services of Jeff Hagood. Today’s news is on the heels of this news yesterday that Trustee employee Zach Brezina engaging the services of Attorney Greg Isaacs.
The two questions to date
1) When will the salary suit architect Chad Tindell lawyer up? This is now the second criminal investigation that Tindell has been in the middle of. In a 2005 investigation which on October 21, 2006 was revealed here in a Big Metal Shed on the Hill article, was sending emails to various media entities beginning with “you didn’t hear this from me” where Tindell was attemping to anonymously stir up hate, dissent and controversy.
2) When will former Scripps writer Larry Van Guilder who began last week as the spokesman for the Trustee, actually do his job? In the first article where the reporter went to Van Guilder he had NO comment.
This is all really a story of friendships, isn't it?
Larry Van Guilder is Mike Donila's buddy–I'm sure they have alot of off record talks 'cause, hey, they're buddies, right?
Heh.
Donila's coworker, a sports writer at the Sentinel, is Brezina's roommate…just what the hell is going on out there anyway?
Josh Burnett, Duncan's Chief of Staff, and Karlo Rodriguez, Deputy Trustee, are Duncan's buddies from way back when. Same goes for Brezina. Old friends and family friends of the Duncans.
Speaking of Josh–the last time I remember a high-profile County computer confiscation was Tyler Harber's computer. And hell, he and Burnett were good friends at the time. Curious.
yeah, sure. real curious. maybe all these connections mean that i will get a bonus. and no, i won't return mine.
Brian–I read with interest your link to the NS story about Chad Tindell…..so he turns his own computer over to the sheriff when he was in the private sector because some kid gets emails from it….and he (Tindell) had given the kid his computer password. Did Tindell think the Tyler kid stole some emails that simply show how deceitful Tindell was? It seems that the only thing his action proved was how stupid Tindell was.Now that he is a government employee and witnesses a computer crime I wonder why he didn't seize that computer and take it to the sheriff? Here is the summary as I see it: (1) Young Trustee gives “bogos bonuses” to close friends and the staff attorney (2) He gets caught and starts to defend the action and blame others including CTAS computer (3)the public demands that their taxpayer money given in these “bonus gifts” be returned (4) No one in leadership in the County wants to touch this because of Duncan name (5)The honest workers in the Trustee's office start to talk about the fact that one of Duncan's buddies took the CTAS test for at least four others….an obvious crime since this action was done to ensure the buddies get the “bogus bonus”…..when the story spreads throughout the courthouse the cover-up begins (6)Duncan III (the Trustee),his chief-of-staff, and the Trustee staff attorney (Chad Tindell) stay behind closed doors coming out on occasion to run to District Attorney Nichols office to try to divert his action (7) Commissioner R L Smith and Duncan III's father the Congressman have a confrontation (8) Meanwhile the Computer is seized and eventually taken by the TBI (yes..the TBI has the computer) (9)Duncan III,his chief, and Tindell panic…go se DA Nichols again..continue to plot and decide to throw one employee (ZB) under the bus (9) That employee lawyers-up and states he was only following supervisor directions when he was told to take the test for others (10) Duncan III lawyers-up too (11) No comment is now their new policy…………Some big questions yet to be answered: (1) Who told ZB to take the test for the buddies (2) Was the test taken by ZB for Trustee Duncan III (ouster time if he did)..(3) Did Tindell know about this illegal and unethical testing….was he aware of the effort to destroy evidence {disbarrment time if he did) (4)What will County Commission do…if anything? After all taxpayer money was given away in the bonus scandal and a crime was committed….see if any Commissioner has the fortitude to ask for Duncan III's resignation Much more to come for sure…and rumor has it the past Trustee Mike Lowe will be charged for thief,diversion of government funds, and fraud within the next 30 days…….Bring Back Fred Sisk…he was honest and worked 10 hour days which is more than Duncan III works in a week!
you forgot to add “Tindell also called Hornback “either an idiot or a liar. I don't know which. … A Republican in a 70 percent (school board) district who loses to an unknown Democrat. With that kind of leadership, what seats will we lose in 2006?”
Hagood represented Trustee in his recently concluded divorce proceeding which didn't go so good but it is over and done with.
Attorney Tindell has the most at stake in this fiasco, attorneys at all levels are expected to identify, report, and disclose improper, fraudulent, and illegal activities. Attorney Tindell doesn't represent the Trustee, he represents that function of the government in the collection of taxes, that's all, nothing more, nothing less. Attorney Tindell will be (or should be lawyered up) by Monday afternoon.
Yes, Anonymous in 2005 Chadwick B. (Emmert) Tindell sent an email saying that I lost an election in 2004. He stated it was a district 70% Republican. 1) that was not correct 2) it is a non partisan election 3) the Republican Presidential Primary had no contest as W was virtually unopposed while the Democrat Presidential Primary was hotly contested. Meaning every Demo was voting while the Republicans stayed home 4) the active GOP Chairman Tindell was opposing me as he and others did in 2010 because I don't drink their good ole boy Kool-aid.
Secondly, he questioned in 2005 what the results would be in 2006 while I was Chairman. In face of the TN Supreme Court term limit opinion and many people running as write in candidates and as some individuals Democrat & Republican joined together as an Orange Ballot slate. All of MY Republicans won. Also, should note that Chadwick finished third behind now Republican General Sessions Judge Andy Jackson. Also Jimmy Kyle Davis came in second. Chadwick had stepped down in 2005 and finished third in a countywide Republican primary in 2006. Also Chadwick lost a Republican Primary for County Commission in the 4th district in theblate 90's.
In response to John Parkey..You are correct..Tindell is the delinquent tax collector by his job discripion….but courthouse talk is that he and Duncan's Chief-of-Staff stay behind closed doors together constantly since the crisis hit..and I don't think they are collecting delinquent taxes. He has been seen going into the DA's Office regularly during this “Duncan Crisis” and I don't think it is to collect delinquent taxes.You are correct that Chad Tindell has much to lose if he had knowledge of the fraud occurring in taking the CTAS test by ZB for other Trustee employees and perhaps Duncau also……….Now HERE IS THE LASTEST….the News-Sentinel is being lobbied to take Donila off this coverage and assign it to another reporter…if this happens we know Duncan II has been at work to protect his son….If this happens then Shame on the News-Sentinel. Donila knows for a fact that young Duncan II has lied to him on 3 occasions and it looks like young ZB is being thrown under the bus!! More to Come..Keeping Them Honest
I'll continue to cover the county and the Trustee's Office as a subsection of the county.
Not that it matters, but the Congressman to my knowledge has never once called any of my editors or the publisher about a story regarding his son.
He's been in office less than 18 month and scandal, oversights, lack of focus, and a bevy of personal probelms have plagued this office holder in my opinion. Any attempt by JD2 to interfere with the natural progression of this investigation should be met by appropriate complaints at the state and federal level, as if all JD2 is going to do in office is shield his son from criticism, investigation, and journalistic embarrassment, then he needs to move on and let somebody who cares about the problems of American and the economic realities of the Second District take the reins.
The investigation has to have validity, otherwise, Nichols would have bailed out long ago. The TBI and the State Auditors should set up offices at 400 Main Street, given the ongoing problems and issues with elected offficials in Knox County. We continue to elect people who really don't want the job, they just don't have anything else to do and they want to start a run of higher office and build a political career on the back of the Knox County taxpayers. We should expect and demand more from our elected officials. In my opinion, putting the torch to JD3 and cleaning out that office would be a good start to restoring public trust and confidence in our local government.
The Knoxville citizeny didn't fall of the turnip truck this morning. Why on the planet was R. Larry Smith summonsed over to the Duncan Den at the federal building anyway? You think Duncan wanted to buy insurance or see what County Commissioned needed in terms of pork spending from Washington, D.C.? There is and was only one reason Duncan would reach out to R. Larry Smith and it had everything to do with JD3.
Desperate people do desperate thing, what else has Duncan intervened on regarding JD3?
Mike Donila—Its not the Conressman calling your editor and/or publisher…it is Moxley Communication who employees Mr Hartmann's wife…you know all the extended connections there!
Moxley Communications has not put any pressure on the paper to not run any stories on the Duncan family.
Tindell put up an ad for lawyers to do title searches in advance of the tax sale. My question is who gets the extra money after the taxes are paid from the tax sale? Does the owner get the extra money or does the county keep it?
Sisk was no saint, he was the Deputy Trustee and new what was going on in that office as Mike Lowe did!!
That office isn't saving Taxpayers anything. They have added employee after employee when they supposedly reduced staffing to appropriate levels.
Tindell loves to travel all over the country in the name of learning about tax sale, etc. Wasn't he hired because he is the best at what he does, or at least that is what the public was told.
Was does the tax collection lawyer do if he does not run the title searches on the property prior to the sale? Why is this farmed out when we have paid staff that can perform that function and the records are 2 floors down? We should have a tax sale coming up, sooner rather than later, why all the rousing and rattling around on behalf of Duncan and his scandal and shortcoming of the day, when there is property with unpaid taxes that needs to be sold on behalf of the citizens of Knox County?
Got to be a pending audit to show what this bunch of amateurs are netting (not grossing) on behalf of the taxpayers of the community.
There is an abundance of Duncan fatigue percolating through the community and the inability of the new Trustee and his staff to do their jobs and stay out of the headlines simply amplify their continued failures and milk toast roles in government. People in our community deserve better.
The tax sale process is a lengthy, legal process.
It's not possible for the staff that he has to do all of the title work for a tax sale, however, it CAN be done a lot cheaper than the way he has proposed to do it, just another example of that office NOT saving taxpayer's money.
Chadwick would love to see JD III fail. I’m sure he thinks he would be a shoe-in to replace an ousted Ducan. No wait It’s Josh Burnett or is it Knox Williams?? Well anyway one of them thinks they go the job if JD III bails. Be sure though, JD III’s attorney is undoubtedly getting ready to position Chadwick between this crisis and JD III. After all, If you can’t trust your accomplished attorney who can you trust?
JD III has one thing going for him. He is in way over his head. Everyone can see that. So it stands to reason his Chief of staff and In-house attorney should know better. Their role is to serve our Little Lord Fauntleroy not serve their own ambitions. Ignorance will serve JD III well this go around. He may well be able to save the castle after all.
If Duncan III resigns the County Commissioner appoints the replacement until the next Countywide election. Chad Tindell has tried in the past to get a County Commission appointment and fell flat on his face. In a Countywide Judge's race Chad finished third…so if Duncan III resigns or an outster suit occurs I think a new cleaner name will emerge for the Trustee job. Since Chad knew about the fraud involving CTAS testing he would be more concerned about disbarrment.
If JD3 vamooses for greener pastures and much less scrutiny, I suspect the new trustee will come from the outside as a caretaker until the next election. The caretaker's primary job will be to restore a level of trust to the office and collect a few sheckles without the foolishness the JD3 administration has engaged in. To accompish those functions, a custodian trustee would eliminate all of the “inner circle” of this failed political charade and push any responsibilities that he/she cannot handle down to some of the senior staff which reamins.
Don't see JD3 going anywhere voluntarily, he's really got nowhere else to go, in my opinion. Don't see him escaping any aspect of the existing investigation, however, without an escape plan and exit strategy, more of the same ugly political mess and gyrations we have become accustomed to.
Tindall may have already reported his situation to the Tennessee Supreme Court, to save his skin, under the available confidentiality which surrounds those complaints. In my opinion, in a what did he know and when did he know it, Tindall won't last as long as JD3 and if anybody gets thrown under the bus, it won't be Brezina, it will be Tindall. The attorney client priviledge won't attach and the Fifth Amendment will usually end up on page 1 above the fold.