Comments on: As the House Turns http://www.liberadio.com/2009/01/28/as-the-house-turns/ with Mary Mancini & Freddie O'Connell Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:49:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Elmer Gantry http://www.liberadio.com/2009/01/28/as-the-house-turns/comment-page-1/#comment-146943 Elmer Gantry Mon, 02 Feb 2009 05:01:00 +0000 http://www.liberadio.com/?p=1981#comment-146943 PDF: Legislative memo on sexual harrassment complaint ('Mumpower Memo') http://www.tennessean.com/assets/pdf/DN126741120.PDF PDF: Speaker Williams response http://www.tennessean.com/assets/pdf/DN126743120.PDF PDF: Legislative memo on sexual harrassment complaint
(‘Mumpower Memo’)
http://www.tennessean.com/assets/pdf/DN126741120.PDF

PDF: Speaker Williams response
http://www.tennessean.com/assets/pdf/DN126743120.PDF

]]> By: Elmer Gantry http://www.liberadio.com/2009/01/28/as-the-house-turns/comment-page-1/#comment-146942 Elmer Gantry Mon, 02 Feb 2009 04:59:45 +0000 http://www.liberadio.com/?p=1981#comment-146942 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 ELIZABETHTON — Kent Williams said he has never harassed anyone and that news reports stating he had apologized for such an indiscretion are not true. “We were expecting that and we were ready for it,” the newly elected speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives said Wednesday morning. “Unfortunately, the confidentiality rules do not permit me to discuss the matter in detail. The attorney general said I would be violating the confidentiality rule if I said anything.” Williams was responding to news reports about a 2007 incident in which Rep. Susan Lynn, R- Mt. Juliet, complained to then-House Minority Leader Jason Mumpower that she had felt harassed by fellow Republican Williams in two incidents within a nine-day period. “I have never harassed anyone. I have never been charged with harassment and I never apologized for harassing anyone,” Williams said. The news reports came from a memorandum prepared by Mumpower that detailed Lynn’s allegations and two conferences he held with the two representatives. Mumpower’s office released the document following an open records request on Tuesday morning. (...) 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.” 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

ELIZABETHTON — Kent Williams said he has never harassed anyone and that news reports stating he had apologized for such an indiscretion are not true.

“We were expecting that and we were ready for it,” the newly elected speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives said Wednesday morning. “Unfortunately, the confidentiality rules do not permit me to discuss the matter in detail. The attorney general said I would be violating the confidentiality rule if I said anything.”

Williams was responding to news reports about a 2007 incident in which Rep. Susan Lynn, R- Mt. Juliet, complained to then-House Minority Leader Jason Mumpower that she had felt harassed by fellow Republican Williams in two incidents within a nine-day period.

“I have never harassed anyone. I have never been charged with harassment and I never apologized for harassing anyone,” Williams said.

The news reports came from a memorandum prepared by Mumpower that detailed Lynn’s allegations and two conferences he held with the two representatives. Mumpower’s office released the document following an open records request on Tuesday morning.

(…)

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.”

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