TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Apr 26, 2022

Two East Tennessee police chiefs and a police lieutenant are facing complaints they violated the federal Hatch Act in endorsing 8th Judicial District Criminal Court judicial candidate Graham Wilson, Tennessee Lookout reports. The complaints allege that Tazewell Police Department Chief Jeremy Myers and New Tazewell Police Department Chief Ben Evans used departmental letterhead in issuing their endorsements while Myers, Evans and New Tazewell Lt. Gary Ruszhowski posed with Wilson in their uniforms for photos used on Wilson’s campaign website. The complaints were filed last week with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which is tasked with enforcing the Hatch Act. Penalties for violating the act can include removal from office, loss of federal funds and fines.