Author: Tennessee Star Staff

Here’s Why An Eco-Terrorist Group Says It Can’t Be Sued For Sabotaging Pipeline

Tennessee Star Staff

by Chris White An eco-terrorist group that frequently instructs activists how to sabotage energy projects is arguing one of the companies behind the Dakota Access Pipeline cannot sue it because the loose-nit group is not an entity. Attorneys for Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) argued in court Wednesday that Earth First! should be held accountable for eco-terrorism because it’s a legal entity that can be sued — ETP believes it should be able to sue a publication the group uses to distribute source material. Earth First! often publishes pamphlets instructing activists how to avoid legal issues associated with sabotage. ETP sued Earth First, Greenpeace and BankTrack in 2017 for $1 billion, alleging all three groups worked to undermine the $3.8 billion pipeline now channeling oil from North Dakota to Illinois. Various legal groups maintain Earth First is a social movement or philosophy, like Black Lives Matter, or the Occupy movement, and therefore are not subject to a lawsuit. “It’s an absurd argument that they’ve made. Earth First never appeared. Earth First Journal asked to draft an amicus brief. Then they file a motion for sanction because we sued an organization that doesn’t exist because it is a philosophy,” Michael Bowe, an…

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Delay by Lawrence County in Reporting Results That Narrow ‘Boss’ Doss Loss Raises Serious Questions

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

A 16 hour delay in reporting of the results in Thursday’s Republican primary in State House District 70 by Lawrence County election officials that resulted in a dramatic narrowing of the margin by which State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma) lost to newcomer Clay Doggett is raising serious questions about the conduct of those officials. “The fact that several different and inconsistent vote numbers have been reported from Lawrence County over the past 24 hours raises serious questions about whether the disparities are due to incompetence or actual technical issues or something more sinister. The fact that the Secretary of State’s office seemed to have no idea that there were problems indicates that an investigation or a full audit is in order,” Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill said. Late Friday, the Election Administrator’s office confirmed to The Tennessee Star that Lawrence County Election Commissioner Stephen Thompson, who previously served as a campaign advisor to Barry Doss in one of his first elections, was in the Lawrence County Election Office Thursday night when the “problems” with vote counts occurred. A screen shot taken of the Tennessee Secretary of State election results website at 11:59 pm on election day, Thursday, August…

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Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Fox News In Seth Rich Case

Tennessee Star Staff

by Vandana Rambaran   A New York City judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the parents of murdered Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich on Thursday that asserted Fox News Channel colluded with the White House to propel a false, politically-biased narrative about Rich’s death. Rich was gunned down outside of his home in Washington, D.C., on July 10, 2016. The death prompted conspiracy theories introduced by Fox News and peddled by television pundits including Newt Gingrich, Sean Hannity, Alex Jones and Rush Limbaugh that Rich was targeted because he allegedly corresponded with Wikileaks, leaking thousands of emails to them from the DNC. Rich’s parents called Fox News’ decision to publish the article, which the family claims is false, as “extreme and outrageous conduct,” according to a lawsuit filed in March. The judge has since dismissed the allegations, which implicated Fox News reporter Malia Zimmerman and Ed Butowsky, a Fox news guest who contributed to the report, according to The New York Times. “It is understandable that plaintiffs might feel that their grief and personal loss were taken advantage of, and that the tragic death of their son was exploited for political purposes,” but Fox evidently did not intend to inflict emotional distress,…

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Just Released: Here’s What The FBI Is Hiding About Christopher Steele

Tennessee Star Staff

by Joe Simonson   The FBI released its internal records on Christopher Steele, the former British spy behind the controversial “Russia dossier.” One problem: Nearly every page has been redacted. The total records, made public Friday, span 71 pages and contains various documents showing payments to Steele, who is referred to as a “Confidential Human Source,” over an unlisted period of time. While most of the documents are nearly completely redacted, they do show that in February 2016 the FBI had “admonished” Steele. “Verbally admonished the [Confidential Human Source] CHS with CHS admonishments, which the CHS fully acknowledged, signed and dated,” the document reads. However, according to NBC, ” an admonishment is typically given when a person begins a stint as a confidential informant and annually thereafter. It is a briefing on the rules of being an informant to ensure the source complies with guidelines set by the Attorney General, and usually not criticism of the source.” The documents also reveal that Steele disclosed to a third party that he was working for the FBI as an informant, as well as the fact that Steele was the source for a news article. By Nov. 1, the agency signaled that it…

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Manafort Accountant Admits Possible Wrongdoing During Trial

Tennessee Star Staff

by Evie Fordham Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort’s accountant admitted she filed tax returns that she was aware may have been criminally fraudulent, at Manafort’s tax fraud trial in Alexandria, Virginia, Friday. “I prepared the tax returns and communicated with banks based on information that Mr. [Rick] Gates and Mr. Manafort provided to me that I didn’t believe,” Cindy Laporta said, reported Politico. Laporta is “the first witness at the trial to testify under a grant of immunity,” according to Politico. Her testimony is also the first instance of a witness conceding involvement in possible wrongdoing in the trial. Lobbyist Manafort is defending himself from charges of tax illegalities brought by special counsel Robert Mueller. Mueller wants to grant immunity to four people besides LaPorta who could testify, reported Politico. Laporta classified $2.4 million from offshore businesses as loans on 2014 and 2015 tax documents to Manafort’s consultant business. She works for Kositzka Wicks & Company in Alexandria. – – – Evie Fordham is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation. Follow Evie on Twitter @eviefordham.                      Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide…

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Congress Demands Key Documents From Largest Opioid Makers In The Country

Tennessee Star Staff
opioids

by Steve Birr   Lawmakers are demanding answers from three of the largest opioid manufacturers in the country, particularly when executives became aware their medications were addictive. Leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent letters Thursday to drug makers Purdue Pharma, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and Insys Therapeutics asking they send a variety of legal documents and internal communications to help Congress better understand its role in igniting the national addiction epidemic, reports The Washington Post. All three companies said they plan to cooperate with the committee’s request. Representatives for Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin, also expressed their “concern about the opioid crisis.” “The opioid crisis continues to destroy the lives of our friends and neighbors, and it’s imperative we examine the full scope of this crisis,” Oregon Republican Rep. Greg Walden, chairman of the committee, and New Jersey Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. said in a statement, according to The Washington Post. The committee is specifically demanding an unredacted copy from Purdue of a deposition given by Dr. Richard Sackler, a member of the family that owns Purdue, during a 2015 settlement with the state of Kentucky. Dr. Richard Sackler became president of Purdue Pharma in 1999 and co-chairman of the board of directors in 2003,…

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Boss Doss Thumped in 70th State House District GOP Primary Loss

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

The state legislator who broke the rules of the Tennessee House of Representatives to jam through Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increase in 2017 has been sent packing by voters in the 70th State House District. State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma) was thumped at the ballot box by political newcomer Clay Doggett on Thursday. According to results reported by the Tennessee Secretary of State as of 11:59 pm Thursday, Doggett easily defeated Doss in the Republican primary in the 70th State House District, 55 percent to 44 percent, an 11 point margin of victory. Doggett received 4,490 votes, while Doss received 3,584 votes in the GOP primary. He will now face Jessica B. Yokley, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary, in the November general election. Complete final results have not yet been reported. The Tennessee Star documented in great detail all of the maneuvering and legislative sleight of hand deployed by Doss in 2017 to push through Gov. Haslam’s IMPROVE Act, which raised the gas tax by 6 cents per gallon and the diesel tax by 10 cents per gallon. The bill also authorized the 12 largest counties in the state to use the referendum process to increase local taxes…

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Tim Burchett, John Rose, and David Kustoff Win Contested GOP Congressional Primaries

Tennessee Star Staff
John Rose, Tim Burchett, David Kustoff

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett won the hotly contested 2nd Congressional District Republican primary over State Rep. Jimmy Matlock (R-Lenoir City) by 12 points on Thursday, 48 percent to 36 percent. Final results, as provided by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office, were: Tim Burchett 47,864 Jimmy Matlock 35,845 Sarah Ashley Nickloes 10,955 Jason Frederick Emert 2,304 In the 6th Congressional District, former Agriculture Commissioner John Rose defeated former Judge Bob Corlew by 10 points, 41 percent to 31 percent. Final results, as provided by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office, were: John Rose 43,788 Bob Corlew 33,088 Judd Matheny 16,753 In the 8th Congressional District, incumbent Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN-08) defeated Dr. George Flinn by 16 points, 56 percent to 40 percent. Final results, as provided by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office, were: David Kustoff 57,733 George S. Flinn, Jr. 40,893 Colleen Owens 4,456  

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Gas Tax-Supporting Tim Wirgau Goes Down to Defeat in State House District 75

Tennessee Star Staff
Tim Wirgau

Political newcomer Bruce Griffey defeated gas tax increase-supporting State Rep. Tim Wirgau in State House District 75 Republican primary Thursday night, 58 per cent to 42 percent. The final results, as reported by The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office, were: Bruce I. Griffey 6,380 58.39% Tim Wirgau 4,547 41.61% Wirgau was not the only gas tax increase supporter to lose last night. State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma) was defeated by political newcomer Clay Doggett in State House District 70. As The Tennessee Star reported, Wirgau also voted in favor of granting in-state tuition to illegal aliens. In other notable primary races in the Tennessee General Assembly, Brandon Ogles won the State House District 61 Republican primary to replace retiring State Rep. Charles Sargent (R-Franklin), defeating attorney Gino Bulso, who finished in second place. Jeff Ford took third place and conservative activist Rebecca Burke finished in fourth place. The final results, as reported by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office were: Candidate Votes % Brandon Ogles 3,913 35.45% Gino Bulso 2,685 24.33% Jeff Ford 1,876 17.00% Rebecca Ann Burke 1,604 14.53% Robert Hullett 709 6.42% Terrence A. Smith 250 2.27% Other primary winners included Dr. Brent Moody, who won the GOP…

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OFF THE RECORD: John Rose Raises Money on K Street in Washington, D.C.

Tennessee Star Staff
John Rose

6th Congressional District candidate John Rose was on K Street in Washington, D.C. earlier this week raising money from a group of PACs and lobbyists. His rivals for the Republican nomination to succeed Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) spent the time talking to constituents across the district back in Tennessee. Rose’s chief rival is former Judge Bob Corlew, whose internal campaign polls show is running neck and neck with the former Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture under former Gov. Don Sundquist. Rose had two fundraising events in Washington, D.C. this week. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill notes that is unusual for a candidate to be in Washington DC the week before a tightly contested election ends, especially an election where everyone is trying to distance themselves from the “swamp in DC.” “The optics are bad, and the timing is worse,” Gill observes. “It is the kind of late mistake that can swing a few points in an election and make the difference between winning and losing. The Corlew team was quick to take advantage of this unforced error, which was a gift to them courtesy of the Rose team. They even had a new TV spot up in just a few…

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Corlew Campaign Releases Poll Showing Statistical Tie in 6th Congressional District Race with John Rose

Tennessee Star Staff
John Rose, Bob Corlew

The Judge Bob Corlew for Congress campaign released the results of a new internal poll on Tuesday that shows Corlew is in a statistical tie with former Agriculture Commissioner John Rose in the race for the Republican nomination for the 6th Congressional District to replace Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06), who is running for governor. While polls released by any campaign should always be viewed with a grain of salt, campaigns often release the results of their internal polls when they believe they tell a favorable narrative for their candidate. According to the Corlew for Congress campaign internal poll conducted of likely Republican voters in the 6th Congressional District primary on the evenings of July 22 and July 23, John Rose has 20 percent support, while Judge Bob Corlew has 16 percent support. All other candidates have 8 percent support, while a whopping 56 percent remain undecided. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill was particularly intrigued by the 56 percent undecided number at this stage of the campaign. “We are in the final days of early voting and I expect around half of the total Republican primary vote to be cast during early voting,” Gill said. “If these whole numbers are…

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Man Arrested and Indicted for Allegedly Threatening to Assault and Murder Diane Black

Tennessee Star Staff

A man was arrested and indicted for allegedly threatening to murder Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06). “According to an indictment, Clifton Ward threatened to assault and murder Congressman Black, who is also a candidate for governor,” WKRN reported: Officials said the threats were left in a voicemail at one of the congressman’s district offices. Congressman Black wouldn’t provide details on the threats but said they were serious enough that a grand jury indicted Ward The threats came shortly after Congressman Black introduced the Border Wall Trust Fund Act to provide funding for President Donald Trump’s border wall. NewsChannel 5 reported that “Black told Fox News Wednesday night about the incident on “The Story with Martha MacCallum.” She said the threats were made over voicemails. “I can tell you they were very serious and they were threatening enough that they concerned police,” said Black. Black went on to explain that she accepts the risks that come with being a public servant but has more peace of mind, knowing the man was arrested. “You never know when it is going to be serious as it was for Gabby Giffords and Steve Scalise and it’s very scary for our families.” MacCallum read a statistic that…

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Volkswagen’s ‘Diesel-Gate’ Hits Tennessee As Company Plans to Dump Hundreds of Thousands of ‘Fixed’ Cars in U.S.

Tennessee Star Staff
Martin Winterkorn

Will hundreds of thousands of Volkswagen diesel vehicles that have been the subject of U.S. and international criminal and civil actions after it was discovered that the vehicles had been rigged to “cheat” emissions testing soon be sold in Tennessee? It appears so, though few state or federal officials seem to be engaged in the issue on behalf of Tennessee consumers and business owners at this point. In June, German prosecutors fined Volkswagen $1.2 billion for rigging diesel engine emissions testing around the world. The prosecutor noted in making the announcement that it was one of the highest fines ever imposed on a company in Germany. Volkswagen accepted the penalty, which related to inadequate oversight in the department that develops powertrains — engines and transmission systems. Approximately 10.7 million vehicles were sold to customers in the United States, Canada and worldwide “with an impermissible software function in the period from mid-2007 until 2015,” Volkswagen said in a statement acknowledging their role in what has been dubbed “Diesel-gate.” Last year Volkswagen agreed to pay $4.3 billion in U.S. criminal and civil fines for the company’s diesel emissions cheating scandal.  A federal grand jury in Michigan also indicted six Volkswagen employees and…

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Glen Gaugh Commentary: Why I Support Chris Todd in District 73’s State House Race

Tennessee Star Staff
Chris Todd

I made my personal decision to vote for Chris Todd after speaking with both he and his opponent, County Commissioner Jay Bush. When negative ads started showing up on Facebook, sponsored by House Majority Leader Glen Casada’s CAS-PAC, attacking Commissioner Bush for his vote to raise property taxes, I had to look deeper into Chris’ character. Here are the reasons why my support remains with Chris Todd.

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State Rep. Andy Holt Commentary: Conservatives Need to Reject the Fake News and Unite Behind Bill Lee

Tennessee Star Staff
Andy Holt, Bill Lee

by State Representative Andy Holt (R-Dresden)   With just a little more than a week left in this election, the polling is clear: Bill Lee is leading Randy Boyd and Diane Black. It’s why they are both spending millions to attack him. And I can’t help but shake this feeling of déjà vu that we have been here before. Over the next 10 days, we’ll see the worst of politics. We’ll see what we saw in 2016: An outsider threatening the traditional power structure of the PACs and lobbyists, and that very same power structure doing everything they can to attack Bill’s business and take his words out of context to frame him as something he’s not. When you see the attack ads from the politicians in this race, remember, this isn’t a new strategy, it’s the exact same playbook they launched on President Trump. And it’s coming from the same insiders that attacked our President and continue to undermine him. For years, too many voters have bought into a system that elects people not based on results, but based on words. We’ve seen our members of Congress vote to raise the debt ceiling and fund Planned Parenthood, then tell…

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Dr. J. Lee Douglas Commentary: Can We Conservatives Be Smarter This Governor’s Race and Unite in Support of Diane Black?

Tennessee Star Staff
Diane Black

When it was obvious in 2010 that we had influenced our first big election, do you recall feeling powerful, that we could shake things up? Then within another year, disgusted and disheartened because our victorious candidates seldom represented our wishes? They did it to us again, didn’t they? No. Here’s how we did it to ourselves.

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New Poll That Shows Bill Lee Leading in Governor’s Race Has Direct Ties to Bill Lee Consultants

Tennessee Star Staff
Bill Lee

The blockbuster poll released on Monday that shows Williamson County businessman Bill Lee leading the Republican gubernatorial primary for the first time was conducted by a firm that has ties to consultants to the Lee campaign, new documents reveal. When Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee announced his candidacy in April, 2017 he indicated that Blake Harris and Jordan Gehrke would be serving as general consultants for his campaign. The Tennessee Star has learned that Lee’s campaign team, and vendors, have direct ties to JMC Analytics and Polling, the polling firm that claims Bill Lee is leading in the Governor’s race. The Lee campaign did not disclose their connections to the polling firm as they have promoted the results of the supposedly independent poll, which calls into question the accuracy of the polling data. “JMC Analytics and Polling independently conducted this poll for the Tennessee Republican primary for Governor,” the polling firm asserted in a statement on Monday when it released the poll showing Bill Lee leading the Tennessee Republican gubernatorial primary, just one week and three days before the August 2 primary election. Lee faces Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd, Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06), and Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) in…

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New Poll Shows Bill Lee Leads GOP Gubernatorial Primary

Tennessee Star Staff
Bill Lee, Randy Boyd, Diane Black

A new poll released by JMC Analytics and Polling on Monday morning shows that Bill Lee now leads the Republican gubernatorial primary. The poll of 500 registered Republican voters conducted between July 18 and July 21 puts Lee in first place with 26 percent, followed by Randy Boyd in second with 20 percent. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) in third with 19 percent, and Tennessee Speaker of the House Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) in fourth place with 16 percent. Seventeen percent are undecided. “The main takeaways are as follows: (1) Donald Trump remains popular among Tennessee Republicans, and (2) with the primary less than two weeks away (and as of this past Friday, 179,504 have early voted in the Republican primary), Bill Lee leads in the race, and the other three major contenders are not far behind, although his “lead” is at the periphery of the margin of error, depending on whether undecided “leaners” are included,” JMC noted in its statement accompanying the release of the poll Monday. The poll has a margin of error of 4.4 percent and has plenty of caveats. First, the poll was of registered voters only, not likely Republican primary voters. Just 71 percent of the poll respondents…

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Charlotte, North Carolina Embraces the 2020 Republican Convention, Nashville Passes

Tennessee Star Staff
Donald Trump

Charlotte, North Carolina has been selected as the location for the 2020 Republican National Convention. Nashville was under consideration as a potential location, but local government entities apparently did not pursue the bid with much interest. Charlotte, in contrast, let the Republican National Committee know it wanted the financial benefits such a convention will bring. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill discussed on Friday’s edition of The Gill Report – broadcast on Knoxville’s 92.3 FM WETR – the Republican National Committee’s pick of Charlotte, North Carolina as the site for the 2020 Republican Convention. “The Republican Party has picked their location for their 2020 convention. Which presumably will be where Donald Trump gets nominated for a second term as President of the United States. While Charlotte, North Carolina is going to be the site. The Charlotte City Council voted six-to-five to accept the bid to embrace the Republicans coming to Charlotte for the convention in 2020,” Gill said, adding: Four Democrats and two Republicans voted yes, Five Democrats voted no because apparently the five Democrats don’t want the crowds, the money and the national and international attention that comes. They didn’t have any problem by the way when the Democrats wanted to bring…

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VP Mike Pence Praises Marsha Blackburn and Diane Black at Lee University Event

Tennessee Star Staff

Vice President Mike Pence praised Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) and Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) during a speech he delivered at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee on Saturday. “The former Indiana governor called the 2017 tax cuts the biggest in a generation and a generator of American jobs in front of a raucous crowd,” the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported: His wide-ranging 33-minute speech at Lee University addressed immigration, tax cuts, Supreme Court nominations, environmental rollbacks and chastised the “liberal left” before narrowing his message to tax cuts. “We cut taxes for working families” Pence said. “We think the average working family in Tennessee will save about $2,000. We cut taxes for businesses large and small so businesses here in Tennessee can compete and win against businesses anywhere in the world.” U.S. Reps. Diane Black and Marsha Blackburn, who are both in tight statewide races, joined the vice president on stage to compliment the administration’s work. The vice president spoke highly of both candidates before turning his attention to Trump’s recent European trip. Pence called the trip a “success” despite the president being criticized by members of his own party for backing Russian leader Vladimir Putin over the U.S. intelligence community.…

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Anti-Trump Group Drops Second Attack Mail Piece Against Bob Corlew in Tennessee’s 6th Congressional GOP Primary

Tennessee Star Staff
Nick Ryan

The American Future Fund, a 501(c)4 group that funded several attack ads against Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election, has filed information with the Federal Election Commission indicating that they have just spent another $17,500 for a second round of negative mail against Republican conservative businessman and former Judge Bob Corlew.

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Beth Harwell’s ‘Major Announcement’: She Supports Legalizing Medical Marijuana in Tennessee

Tennessee Star Staff
Bath Harwell

GOP gubernatorial candidate Tennessee Speaker of the House Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) held a press conference this morning, which she had promised would be a “major announcement,” in which she restated her support for legalizing medical marijuana in Tennessee. “Alongside two doctors at a news conference Friday, Harwell said she supports use of oils and additives, not smoking marijuana. She said she isn’t supporting recreational marijuana,” the Associated Press reported shortly after noon on Friday: State House Speaker Beth Harwell is running a TV ad about supporting medical marijuana as she tries to separate herself from the Republican field for Tennessee governor before the Aug. 2 primary. In the ad, Harwell says she’s the only Republican gubernatorial candidate who supports doctor-prescribed medical cannabis. The ad includes a 2015 clip of President Donald Trump saying he thinks “medical should happen.” Harwell first indicated she was inclined to support the legalization of medical marijuana in Tennessee back in August 2017, a position she restated in January. In February, Harwell cast the tie breaking vote to move “The Medical Cannabis Act” out of a committee of the Tennessee House of Representatives, despite opposition from the law enforcement community, as The Tennessee Star reported. That bill…

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Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen Denies Tweet ‘Where is Our Military Folks? The Commander in Chief is in the Hands of Our Enemy!’ Was Call for Military Coup Against President Trump

Tennessee Star Staff

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) denied this afternoon that his tweet earlier in the day in which he stated “Where is our military folks? Commander in chief is in the hands of the enemy” was a call for a military coup against President Trump. Where are our military folks ? The Commander in Chief is in the hands of our enemy! https://t.co/3eF7OLKEdN — Steve Cohen (@RepCohen) July 16, 2018   Cohen attempted to “clarify” what seemed to many to be a call for a military coup against President Trump on Twitter about an hour later in response to a tweet from Christopher D. White of the Daily Caller News Foundation, but did not appear to do so successfully. “I assume you mean: why aren’t members of the military sounding off on this? Not. Why isn’t the military taking up positions to take out the POTUS? Because it’s not totally clear,” White asked. “Of course,” Cohen responded. — Steve Cohen (@RepCohen) July 16, 2018 White pushed back. “Of course *what*? Which is it?” he tweeted. Cohen did not respond.   Of course *what*? Which is it? https://t.co/x31k59eWSG — Christopher D. White (@ZanderKelly30) July 16, 2018 Just last week, Cohen attempted to walk…

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73 Percent Increase in First Day of Primary Early Voting in Williamson County Compared to 2014

Tennessee Star Staff
early voting 2018 primary

FRANKLIN, Tennessee–A total of 911 ballots were cast on the first day of primary early voting in Williamson County on Friday, a 73 percent increase from the 526 ballots that were cast in the county on the first day of early voting in the August 2014 primary. The Brentwood HomePage provided these details: There are only two locations open for early voting in the county—the Election Commission’s office in Franklin and the Brentwood Library. At the library 340 people voted, while 505 people voted at the office in Franklin. After adding in votes from absentee ballots and nursing homes, there were 911 people voted Friday. . . Republicans made up the vast majority of voters. The Williamson County Commission reports that 606 people voted in the Republican primary while 297 voted in the Democratic primary. Eight people voted only in the general election. Supporters of several candidates, including State Senator Dr. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) , Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) , and Jeff Ford,  stood under a tent just beyond the 100 foot boundary with signs for their candidate of choice at the Williamson County Administrative Building in Franklin. Green is running unchallenged in the Republican primary to replace Blackburn as…

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Game On: Early Voting for August 2 Primary Begins Today

Tennessee Star Staff

Voting in the 2018 Republican and Democrat primary elections begins today after candidates for statewide and local office have spent record amounts. So far, the four major candidates for the Republican gubernatorial nomination–Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06), Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd, Tennessee Speaker of the House Beth Harwell, and Williamson County businessman Bill Lee–have spent more than $37 million in a campaign that began one year and four months ago when Boyd became the first to announce his candidacy. In the two weeks and six days between now and election day on August 2, the four Republican gubernatorial candidates are expected to spend another $10 to $15 million. The early voting period begins today, July 13, and continues for 15 days until Saturday, July 28. “Before a single ballot is cast in early voting, which begins Friday, the contest to succeed a term-limited Gov. Bill Haslam is already the most expensive gubernatorial contest in state history,” as the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported: Contributions received in the gubernatorial by the four major Republican and two Democratic candidates is a shade over $51 million, according to second quarter campaign disclosures filed Tuesday with the state’s Registry of Election Finance.Of that amount, some $35 million comes…

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Tennessee Star Constitution Bee Winner Cooper Moran Witnesses History on First Day of SCOTUS Nominee on Capitol Hill

Tennessee Star Staff
Cooper Moran

Tennessee Star Constitution Bee winner Cooper Moran was a witness to history on Tuesday. The rising senior at Lincoln County High School was at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. just as Vice President Mike Pence escorted Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh through the hallways as he began his visits with the United States senators who will be voting up or down on whether to confirm him this fall. Moran won an all expenses paid round trip visit to Washington, D.C. for himself and his mother when he finished in first place in the April 2018 Tennessee Star Constitution Bee, sponsored by the Polk Foundation. “I cannot begin to express the excitement I have had just in the first day in D.C.,” Moran told The Tennessee Star in an email Tuesday night. “When going on a tour of the Capitol building, I got to see Vice President Pence walk through with the new SCOTUS appointee Brett Kavanaugh!” he added. Moran also met with Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) in her Capitol Hill office on Tuesday, and is scheduled to meet with Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) later in his visit to Washington, D.C. this week. As the winner of the April 2018…

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Woman Claiming to be Union Member from Nashville Leaves Foul-Mouthed Voice Mail at Think Tank That Filed Amicus Brief Cited by SCOTUS in Janus Decision

Tennessee Star Staff
Foul-mouthed voicemail

A woman claiming to be a union member from Nashville left a foul-mouthed voice mail last week at the offices of the Mackinac Center, the Michigan-based think tank that filed an amicus brief in the Janus v. AFSCME lawsuit in which the Supreme Court ruled employees could not be required to make donations to a union if they chose not to. In an email and phone exchange with The Tennessee Star, Mackinac Center’s Vice President for Strategic Outreach & Communications Lindsay Killen shared details about the foul-mouthed message. Killen wrote: We received this voicemail from Ann Barnett, a union member from Nashville who called Mackinac Center’s My Pay My Say campaign call center. My Pay My Say is a national education and awareness campaign to inform public employees that their First Amendment rights to free speech and association have been restored by the Supreme Court in the Janus v. AFSCME case – no longer must they pay fees to a government union just to keep their jobs. Ann Barnett’s voicemail was a vulgar and outraged response to the fact that we would dare to inform public employees about their right to choose whether to continue pay for union activities that…

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Steve Gill Commentary: The Californication of the Teachers’ Union

Tennessee Star Staff
NEA

At the recent National Education Association (NEA) Annual Meeting, where Tennessee Education Association (TEA) representatives participated along with other affiliates across the country, the highly partisan NEA took strong positions against immigration reform  and Republicans in general.  They even gave an award to controversial former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick to honor his activism in leading protests against the National Anthem. Now NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia has weighed in on the US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.  Not surprisingly the NEA opposes Kavanaugh.  Their opposition is NOT based on his rulings as a Court of Appeals Judge, but primarily upon the hysterical concerns generated in liberal circles with completely bogus claims about recent Supreme Court rulings.  For example, she claims the Supreme Court  weakened the right of educators and other working people to come together in their unions and through collective bargaining to advocate for fair pay, benefits, and working conditions (Janus v. AFSCME, a 5-4 vote). Janus actually granted teachers and others the freedom NOT to be forced to join a union if they didn’t want to. And the “Muslim ban” that the Supreme Court confirmed, where travel from certain countries was restricted based on national security interests and…

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Poll: Marsha Blackburn Leads Phil Bredesen by 14 in Senate Race, 55 to 41

Tennessee Star Staff
Phil Bredesen, Marsha Blackburn

A poll released by Axios-Survey Monkey on Tuesday shows that Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) leads Democrat Phil Bredesen by 14 points in the U.S. Senate general election, 55 percent to 41 percent among registered voters. Among likely voters, Blackburn’s lead over Bredesen is even greater, 58 percent to 40 percent. Axios-Survey Monkey conducted similar polls in 13 states where contested Senate races are underway. The overall polling reveals that Democrats will have an uphill climb in attempting to capture control of the U.S. Senate in the midterm 2018 election cycle. Democrats are hampered in their Senate races by having to retain seats in 10 states that President Donald Trump carried in 2016, including five that he carried by double digits. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill said that he is somewhat skeptical of the poll results due to the fact that the survey was conducted over a nearly three week period while typical polling is concluded over 3-4 days. “Nevertheless,” Gill noted, “it appears that Blackburn and Bredesen are both consolidating their party base, with each capturing over 90 percent support from those identifying as Republicans and Democrats respectively.” “Tennessee is a red state that Donald Trump carried handily in 2016 so…

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Carol Swain Commentary: Why I Support Diane Black for the GOP Gubernatorial Nomination

Tennessee Star Staff

By Dr. Carol M. Swain For weeks I have been telling folks the only viable GOP gubernatorial choices for Christian conservatives are Representative Diane Black and business owner Bill Lee.  These two candidates are competing for and splitting the votes of Christian conservatives.  Because I have friends supporting both candidates, I initially decided not to publicly endorse anyone; however, I believe too much is at stake to not voice my support for the candidate I will support. I will be voting for Representative Diane Black for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.  I believe Diane can defeat Karl Dean and become the next governor of Tennessee.  Our state would benefit from having the steady hand of a strong conservative at the helm. I am for Diane Black because she is a natural leader who has established herself over many years as a strong champion for conservative values and principles. She has always been a defender of the unborn and an advocate for adoption and healthcare reform.  Her issues include human trafficking, protection of our Second Amendment rights, workforce training, protection of small towns, and the restoration of law and order.  Diane’s conservative stances have earned her endorsements from the National Rifle Association…

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President Trump Nominates Federal Appeals Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh to Supreme Court

Tennessee Star Staff

President Trump announced on a live television broadcast Monday night that he is nominating federal appeals court judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Kavanaugh, 53, will replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Court. Kennedy, long considered the “swing vote” on the nine member Court, retired in June after thirty years on the highest bench in the land. Trump selected Kavanaugh over three well qualified finalists who were also on the list of 25 potential Supreme Court Justices he announced during his campaign for president. Kavanaugh has served as a federal circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 2006. A graduate of Yale and Yale Law School, Kavanaugh is considered a protegee of Ken Starr, who he worked for during Starr’s special counsel investigation. He also clerked for Justice Kennedy and served in the administration of George W. Bush. The three finalists who Trump did not select this time around were: federal appeals court judge Raymond Kethledge, federal appeals court judge Amy Coney Barrett, and federal appeals court judge Thomas Hardiman. Judge Raymond Kethledge, 51, is a native of Michigan and graduate of the…

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Report, Based on Unverified Documents, Claims Irish Subsidiary of Randy Boyd’s Company Is a Tax Haven

Tennessee Star Staff
Randy Boyd

The Tennessean reported on Monday that the Irish subsidiary of Radio Systems Corporation, the company founded and majority controlled by Republican gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd, is a tax haven that enables Boyd’s Knoxville-based company to significantly diminish its U.S. tax obligations. The report is based on documents The Tennessean says are Irish tax records of Radio Systems Corporation. The Tennessean has failed to publish, produce, or explain the legal provenance of those alleged documents. “From 2014 to 2016, the company sheltered millions of dollars in European profits from any taxes because of this corporate structure, according to two experts who analyzed Radio System’s Irish tax records obtained by the USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee,” The Tennessean reported on Monday. One of those experts was University of California-Irvine School of Law professor Omri Marian. “Analyzing the company’s tax records, University of California-Irvine School of Law professor Omri Marian estimated the company paid an effective tax rate of a little more than 1 percent,” The Tennessean reported. The Tennessee Star contacted Professor Marian, and asked him four questions about his comments. You can read The Star’s questions and Professor Marian’s responses below: 1.Can you confirm that the Irish tax records for Radio Systems Corp you…

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Bill Lee Donated $164,000 to Federal and State Candidates, 99.3 Percent Went to Republicans

Tennessee Star Staff
Bill Lee

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee donated $164,540 to candidates for federal and state offices during the 19 year period beginning in 1999 and ending in 2017, according to records provided to The Tennessee Star by the Lee campaign. Of that amount, 99.27 percent, or $163,340, went to Republican candidates, while 0.73 percent, or $1,200, went to Democratic candidates. Notably, as The Star reported on Saturday, $1,000 of that $1,200 to state Democratic candidates went to Gov. Phil Bredesen’s re-election campaign in 2004. The majority of those donations–$130,640–went to federal candidates, while another $33,900 went to state candidates. (Note: $12,600 of the state candidate contributions were made by Bill Lee’s wife, Maria Lee, and $3,000 of the federal candidate contributions were made in 1999 by Bill Lee and his late first wife.) All of Lee’s donations to federal candidates went to Republicans. Three percent of Lee’s $33,900 to state candidates–or $1,200–went to Democrats. The Lee campaign did not provide a list of Lee’s donations to local candidates and committees to The Star. As The Star reported previously, Lee donated $500 to disgraced former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, a Democrat, and the Lee Company, which he owns and now serves as chairman…

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State Senator Mark Green Endorses Diane Black for Governor

Tennessee Star Staff
Mark Green, Diane Black

CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee–State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville) endorsed Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) for governor at his Red, White, and Blues Barbecue event held at the Old Glory Distilling Company in Clarksville on Saturday night. Green told the enthusiastic crowd of 300 supporters in attendance that, while he is friends with all four of the candidates for governor in the Republican primary election for governor that will be held in just over four weeks on August 2, he believes that Black is the best person for the job. “Diane Black is a conservative fighter. She has a very conservative record,” Green began. “She helped President Trump write the tax cuts, just six months ago. She helped get that done,” he added. “We’ve got a great field of candidates for governor, and I consider every single one of them a friend,” the former Army doctor noted. “But the issues that are pressing our state and our nation, we need a conservative fighter, and clearly the best candidate for that job is Diane Black,” Green continued. “Cami and I have decided that we will be supporting and casting our vote for Diane Black for Governor,” Green concluded. Black took the stage briefly after receiving…

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