Registry of Election Finance declines to investigate Rep. Sherrell’s fire-hall checks – Tennessee Lookout

The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance claimed Wednesday it had been “weaponized” within the state Home District 43 race and refused to research a criticism that Rep. Paul Sherrell wrote checks to volunteer hearth halls and requested for money again.

“What we’re being requested right here is to imagine that Mr. Sherrell is a criminal, backside line. We’re to imagine he’s conducting criminality,” board member Tom Lawless stated, as a result of Sherrell purchased ham breakfasts for firefighters, “for a bunch of fellows which might be going out and working the danger of getting their ass killed placing a hearth out.”

Lawless stated he’s positive Sherrell was shopping for firefighters “granola and yogurt and never sausage and biscuits to guard them.”

Consequently, Sherrell’s opposition will get to name him a “thief, a liar and a criminal. And I’m sorry, that is weaponization,” stated Lawless, who known as for the vote to take no motion in opposition to Sherrell.

Registry Chairman Paige Burcham Dennis agreed, saying, “Individuals can’t use us to focus on candidates.”

However, the Bureau of Ethics and Marketing campaign Finance urged Sherrell to contribute in another way sooner or later and to doc all donations.

“Discover out beforehand what number of breakfasts you’re going to pay for … and have that documentation,” stated Invoice Younger, govt director of the bureau.

The Registry took up the matter based mostly on a sworn criticism by Sparta resident Dale Walker, director of the Tennessee Pastors Community, who claimed Sherrell went to a ham breakfast on the Cassville Volunteer Fireplace Division the place he wrote a $100 test and requested for $90 in money again. Walker stated he filed the criticism solely after a number of individuals introduced the matter to his consideration and famous that the White County sheriff had advised Sherrell he wanted to “straighten this out.”

Sherrell, a Sparta Republican, is working for re-election to the Home District 43 seat in opposition to Republican Bobby Robinson within the August major and will face Democrat Cheryl Womack Uselton in November.

The Registry made its resolution based mostly, partially, on Sherrell’s declare that the criticism is getting used in opposition to him within the marketing campaign.

The Sparta Republican advised board members throughout a telephone call-in at its quarterly assembly he contacted the board’s auditor as quickly because the matter got here up and advised bureau officers he wasn’t “attempting to cowl issues up.”

Along with a letter to Younger saying the money wasn’t used for private bills, Sherrell introduced the Registry with letters from the chiefs of Eastland and Cherry Creek volunteer hearth departments that stated he wrote checks out of his marketing campaign account on Dec. 4, 2021, Feb. 5, 2022, March 5, 2022 at Eastland and Dec. 11, 2021 and Feb. 12, 2022 at Cherry Creek and requested money again and used the checks as receipts. The letters word most volunteer hearth departments common between 5 and 7 breakfasts annually.

“I’m asking to your verification that I’ve been attending many of the month-to-month breakfasts on the above named volunteer hearth division,” the letter says.

He didn’t present a letter from Cassville Volunteer Fireplace Division, the origin of the criticism. And nowhere within the letters did he declare to make use of the money again to pay for breakfast for firefighters or another constituents.

Cassville Chief Teddy Stockton advised the Tennessee Lookout on Tuesday that Sherrell wrote a test to the volunteer division to purchase one breakfast and requested and acquired $90 in money again.

Requested if he gave the remainder of the cash to firefighters to purchase their breakfasts, Stockton stated, “I don’t suppose so, sir.”

The Registry’s legal professional, Lauren Topping, advised board members the query seemed to be whether or not Sherrell was pocketing a portion of the money he acquired again. She famous the Registry has no proof about how he used the cash aside from his statements.

Registry member Hank Fincher of Cookeville stated individuals got here to him first with the criticism about Sherrell, and he advised them to take up the matter with the Bureau of Ethics and Marketing campaign Finance.

“The issue right here is dealing in money,” Fincher stated. “Not that there’s something inherently incorrect or dangerous about it, nevertheless it’s simply onerous to hint. …”

Following a unanimous vote, Sherrell sounded as if he was crying when he stated, “Thanks and reward the Lord.”

Throughout dialogue with the board, although, Sherrell stated Walker had visited his Nashville legislative workplace and was unkind to his administrative assistant. Consequently, he “nearly advised” Walker he wasn’t welcome at his workplace however apparently didn’t observe by means of with the remark.

“He’s not proud of me. He’s working in opposition to me. Sure, he lives within the space that my competitors resides in. I’m simply attempting to do hopefully the very best I can, and, sure, I do make errors. And if I’ve made a mistake, I’m sorry,” Sherrell stated.

Reached for remark after the vote, Walker stated he was “completely not” attempting to make use of the Registry board as a weapon in opposition to Sherrell. He declined to establish which candidate he’s supporting on this yr’s election.

“I’m not a politician. I’m a pastor,” he stated, reiterating he filed the sworn criticism solely after quite a few individuals advised him Sherrell was writing checks to volunteer hearth departments and asking for money again. He added that he felt the Registry was the right entity to reply their questions.

Walker stated the Registry ought to have investigated the criticism and subpoenaed all paperwork involving Sherrell’s breakfast checks.

“That is the type of stuff that causes voters to have questions on the entire political course of,” he stated. “That is why individuals don’t vote.”