Fore Note: For all you nonbelievers, here's yet another example of just how dishonest Tim Burchett is. We use to have a saying around these parts, "the truth just ain't in him." Never saw a man that that applies to more than Tim Burchett.
 

Burchett fundraiser hosts included names of Matlock supporters
 

A recent Maryville fundraiser for congressional candidate Tim Burchett included an invitation that contained the names of several Jimmy Matlock supporters and inferred each couple donated $1,000 to Burchett’s campaign.
 
Burchett, who is mayor of Knox County, and East Tennessee tire magnate Matlock, who also represents District 21 in the Tennessee House of Representatives, are the leading Republican candidates in the Aug. 2 primary to choose a successor for longtime U.S. Rep. Jimmy Duncan, a Republican who is not seeking re-election.
 
Matlock, who has Matlock Tire Service stores in Maryville, Knoxville, Lenoir City and Athens, said when he saw Burchett’s list of “Host Committee” members, he was stunned.
 
“I was very disappointed when I saw the list. Many of these people are friends and customers of mine,” Matlock said.
 
Burchett’s Chief of Staff Andrew Davis acknowledged that “miscommunication over the July 4 holiday” caused several names to be listed as Burchett supporters in error.
 
Davis initially said Tuesday that “anyone on the host committee list gave us consent and said they wanted to be on the list.”
 
He called back Tuesday to say there had been a mistake and that “all offended parties had been reached out to so we could apologize to them.” Davis declined to specify who the offended parties were.
 
“It was an honest mistake,” he said.
 
An operative close to Matlock’s campaign said the Matlock supporters wrongly listed on the fundraiser invitation were Maryville City Councilman Tommy Hunt and his wife, Carol; Joe Anderson, a liquor store owner, and his wife, Mary Jane; Laura and Lee Chambers, a principal at Grandview Cemetery; financial adviser Kevin Painter; pharmacy executive David Pesterfield; Tina and Darrell Tipton, a Realtor; and Ruth and Steve West, former Maryville mayor and automobile dealer.
 
Steve West acknowledged he was mistakenly listed on the Burchett invitation but said it “was not a big deal.”
 
Multiple calls to Joe Anderson and Painter were not returned.
 
Darrell Tipton said he had not committed to any congressional candidate yet, but confirmed he should not have been on the list and has not donated to Burchett’s campaign.
 
Lee Chambers said he had not given Burchett $1,000 to be on the list, but said his favored candidate is a “personal decision of mine” and wouldn’t comment further.
 
Pesterfield said he was out of town during the event and refused further comment.
 
Tommy Hunt, president of Calloway Oil Co., said he is an avid Matlock supporter and that, when called earlier this month and asked to be on the Burchett list, he declined through Nashville-based Kaegi Resources, a political fundraising firm that has worked with Republican politicians, including both Tennessee U.S. senators — Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander — and Gov. Bill Haslam.
 
“I chalk this up to sloppy work from his (Burchett’s) staff,” Tommy Hunt said. “I said no, and yet my name showed up. I was disappointed because this was not Kaegi’s first rodeo. It was just a poor performance.
 
“I have supported Tim during other races,” he added. “I’m friends with both Tim and Jimmy, but I’m just not supporting Tim in this race. And I think what happened reflects poorly on his campaign.”
 
Shelbie Hurt, the Kaegi employee to whom RSVPs were to be directed for the McCord Farm fundraiser July 17 on Montvale Road, said staff members were trying to get the invitations out over the busy holiday weekend when a “miscommunication” occurred.
She referred further questions to Burchett’s chief of staff, Davis.
 
Matlock said after his initial consternation, he was buoyed by several phone calls from supporters who said they were incorrectly listed as Burchett host committee members.    

BACK
7/27/18