As Tennessee Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally has yet to comment on the immigration clash between Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell and U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), who has accused the mayor of aiding and abetting illegal immigrants, The Tennessee Star can report that an aide to McNally appeared in a campaign advertisement for O’Connell a total of eight times.
Still working in McNally’s office today, Adam Kleinheider was appointed the communications director for McNally’s office in 2017, when The Wilson Post noted he previously “ran well-respected political websites for Nashville media outlets WKRN-TV and NashvillePost.com,” before serving as the communications director former Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey.
Though working for one of Tennessee’s top elected Republicans during his day job, The Nashville Banner noted that he appeared in a campaign advertisement for O’Connell in June 2023.
Kleinheider (pictured above and here) made at least eight appearances in the ad, a football-themed commercial in which O’Connell promised to stand up to wealthy special interests if elected, including as both a player on the fictional football team coached by O’Connell, and a fan in the stands.
As noted by The Banner, the ad was “also a fun game of ‘find the cameo’ of Nashville politicos, with Adam Kleinheider, former state Democratic Chair Mary Mancini, retired judge Bill Higgins, At-Large Councilmember Bob Mendes and former CM Kristine Lalonde all making appearances.”
Ogles, whose district includes much of Nashville, announced congressional probes after O’Connell signed an executive order mandating Metro Nashville employees report interactions with federal immigration officials to him and his Office of New Americans, and announced a new “Belonging Fund” to support immigrants impacted by deportations.
Though Ogles claimed the fund received no taxpayer money, The Star has reported that two nonprofits which provided seed money received millions in Biden-era stimulus funding from Metro Nashville.
McNally was not in attendance as Ogles held a press conference to announce the probes on Monday, and did not respond to a Thursday press inquiry from The Star, which sought his comment on the immigration clash in Metro Nashville.
Since announcing the probes, Ogles has accused O’Connell of publicly leaking the names of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officials, through a Metro Nashville website data portal containing interactions between Metro officials and federal immigration officials.
Watch the 2023 ad featuring Kleinheider:
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
“Can Freddie O’Connell be impeached for his actions against ice?”
Who would impeach him? The Council is as corrupt and Marxist as he is. Sounds like the Demonrats are taking their marching orders from the foreign drug and human trafficking gangs and cartels. No wonder they desperately want “Maryland Man” from El Salvador back in America.
McNally and Sexton are TRASH!!
Freddie O’Connell is a good person, but he is being used and played by anti-American elements he really does not understand. They are the same elements that controlled the Biden presidency.
As for Randy McNally, he was never reliable on immigration issues, and he is a problem overall and needs to go.
You guys are doing a great job! Thanks for covering.
Can Freddie O’Connell be impeached for his actions against ice?