A donor to far-left State Representative Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) said that he cancelled hosting a planned fundraiser for Courtney Johnston, a Republican challenger to Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), despite a flyer invitation for the event obtained by The Tennessee Star.
According to the flyer, Margaret and George Uribe were scheduled to host a fundraiser for Johnston on Wednesday.
Uribe is listed as a contributor to Behn’s 2023 campaign for Tennessee House of Representatives, according to publicly available campaign finance records. He also appears to be pictured in a photo posted to Behn’s Facebook page on July 28 of last year, wearing a Behn campaign t-shirt.
Reached by phone Friday, Uribe said the fundraiser was cancelled before hastily hanging up the phone when pressed on the matter.
“I haven’t hosted a fundraiser for her yet,” Uribe said, claiming that the June 19 fundraiser was cancelled.
When asked whether he planned to host a fundraiser in the future, Uribe said he hadn’t decided yet. He also refused to confirm directly whether he contributed to Behn’s campaign, despite the fact that it is a matter of public record, or whether he campaigned for Behn as the Facebook photo suggests.
“Why, what are you up to?” he asked The Star.
When confronted about hosting a fundraiser for a Republican candidate after contributing to the campaign a far-left Democrat, Uribe said he would he would call The Star back if he did indeed decide to host a fundraiser for Johnston, and then hung up the phone.
The Star reached Johnston by phone Friday, too.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Johnston quickly said when asked about the event. “And no it did not happen.”
Johnston then hung up the phone.
Contact information for longtime Tennessee campaign consultant Kim Kaegi, who is also Johnston’s campaign treasurer, was posted on the flyer for RSVP purposes.
Kaegi cofounded The Best of Tennessee, a “moderate” Super PAC, with pro-abortion lawyer Chloe Akers, ahead of Johnston’s bid for office.
Kaegi did not return multiple requests for comment.
In 2022, Johnston penned an open letter to Gov. Bill Lee (R), demanding that he convene a special session of the General Assembly to implement new gun control laws.
Behn is an outspoken progressive Democrat.
“On this Juneteenth, we need less white folks posting Canva graphics and more adopting prison abolition as a political foundation,” she posted to X on Wednesday, the same day her donor Uribe was scheduled to host the fundraiser for Johnston. “Here’s my lineup of books that enhanced my political education. Black women did a lot of labor to get me here, and I’m eternally grateful.”
On this Juneteenth, we need less white folks posting Canva graphics and more adopting prison abolition as a political foundation.
Here’s my lineup of books that enhanced my political education. Black women did a lot of labor to get me here, and I’m eternally grateful. pic.twitter.com/x8EySjFJlY
— Rep. Aftyn Behn (@AftynBehn) June 19, 2024
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on X/Twitter.
The state of TN needs fewer Democrats especially since the Democrat party hates America.
I will be voting for a strong tested leader, Andy Ogles, this coming November.