Rep. Susan Lynn blogs on the Kent Williams Allegations
January 22, 2009 by Truman Bean
Filed under Politics
Rep. Susan Lynn provides a first hand account on the time-line of events that have made the current Kent William’s allegations public.
Comment on media access to member complaintWhat follows is a timeline for the recent events of this week and before.
Nearly two years ago, an incident occurred which was witnessed by a few. It has been well documented so I will not go into further detail except to say that I sought assistance from my leadership because I did not feel that I was being taken seriously in my request to be treated with professional courtesy.
At that time, a group of Nashville bloggers found out about the incident; they recounted the events on their blogs. The Nashville media observed the discourse and contacted me for comment. I declined to comment on the incident and so did my leadership.
After the election last week, I was contacted by a Nashville blogger that had knowledge of the incident two years earlier. He asked me if I would like to comment on his blog. I declined once more and immediately called my caucus leader to inform him that I was contacted by the blogger. We agreed to remain firm in our position not to comment on the incident.
On Sunday night the press started calling me. I refused to comment. Their phone calls persisted all day on Monday at which time I still refused to comment. In addition, they repeatedly contacted my leadership. In the early evening on Monday some media informed our press secretary that they intended to issue a public records request to our leadership for any information pertaining to the incident. When leadership arrived at the office on Tuesday morning members of the media were waiting with their requests for public information.
Until this time I was unaware that a file existed. However, in retrospect, it does make sense that the leader would document a serious incident even if only to safeguard his own actions. Although he has received much criticism, I can only imagine the critique if he had refused to hand over the file. Considering all that the leader has been through, I think that he has been very professional about everything.
I hope you will understand if I do not wish to comment any further on the incident. I believe that the information that has already been made public speaks for itself.
Thank you for the many kind words of support. I know that I have done nothing wrong. It is a difficult situation that one cannot ever win. That is why I sought to handle it privately.
Elmer Gantry on Thu, 22nd Jan 2009 6:24 pm
Perhaps Rep. Lynn can explain why she was reportedly witnessed hugging on Rep. Kent Williams after he signed the House Republican Causus vote pledge…?
Story published: 01-22-2009
Updated January 21, 2009 11:14:41 PM
Williams says alleged incidents never happened
http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Detail.php?Cat=LOCALNEWS&ID=66757
By John Thompson
Elizabethton Bureau Chief
jthompson@johnsoncitypress.com
[...]
Williams’ closest ally in the House, Rep. Dale Ford, R-Jonesborough, said he did not believe the allegations of harassment. Ford said he had known Williams for many years before they shared an office during the last session.
“I know him. He would never harass anyone. There is not a woman in Nashville or Carter County who is afraid of him,” Ford said.
Ford went on to say he did not think Susan Lynn was behind the release of the memorandum.
“I was with Kent when we signed the pledge to vote for the Republican speaker,” Ford said. “Right after he signed it Susan gave him a great big hug.”
Ford admits he was not present at either of the incidents described in the memorandum, but he said if there was anything substantial to it, he believed the Republicans who opposed Williams in the last primary would have used it against him.
“Why didn’t they bring it up then? Because they knew there was nothing to it,” Ford said.
Ford said he believes Williams will be a successful speaker and warns his fellow Republicans that if Williams is kicked out of the party and he does have success as speaker “we are going to look like a bunch of dorks.”
Ken Marrero on Thu, 22nd Jan 2009 8:56 pm
@Elmer Gantry -
This is a serious news site. It’s not the appropriate venue for my response to you. You can read what I have to say at “In response to an anonymous comment”. It will be interesting to see how you respond …
Elmer Gantry on Sun, 25th Jan 2009 6:52 am
“This is a serious news site.” Yeah. Right.
So where do you post your credentials from the Tennessee Press Association?
You know what I think would make for a good news story? If the members of the Tennessee Press Association would head out from all points across the Volunteer State and go to Mt. Sleaze, Tennnessee to interview Mr. Susan Lynn and ask him to comment about his wife hugging Rep. Kent Williams — out of 48 other Tennessee Republican House Caucus mebers — following Williams’ signing of Rep. Jason Mumpower’s Neville Chamberlain-styled loyality pact. Or maybe even get Rep. Mumpower on the record to state whether of not if he has ever sexual harassed any TNGA member, employee, or legislative.
After all, your “real news story” is just a witch hunt.
Ken Marrero on Tue, 27th Jan 2009 12:39 pm
@Elmer Gantry -
**sigh** You guys just don’t have much in the way of thinking ability do you? Are you saying that only a person with TPA credentials can put out something newsworthy? Or is it possible that common sense thinking works, too?
Please remember that you missed the obvious response that if I can’t have a good news story idea without such credentials then neither can you. Ooops, so much for us taking you seriously by your very own standards.
Not to mention your craven cowardice in wandering all around the state and dropping unsubstantiated claims and “drive-by” comments all while remaining anonymous so we are denied the ability to truly judge the value of your words by also considering the content of your character. Actually, given your commenting habits, I believe we do know enough about your character to properly evaluate your comments.
Ken