As Conservative Challenger’s Campaign Gains Traction, Incumbent RINOs Seek To Weaponize Tennessee Bureau Of Ethics & Campaign Finance
Original Center Square Headline: “Yager Files Request To Investigate Text Messages, Campaign Finance”
Image Credit: Senator Ken Yager / Facebook & The State of Tennessee
The Center Square [By Jon Styf] and The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
Tennessee Sen. Ken Yager recently asked the Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance to look into the East Tennessee Conservatives PAC and any connections it might have to conservative candidate Bobby Harshbarger, who is running against incumbent RINO Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, in District 4 including Hawkins and Sullivan counties.
The request came after text messages were sent from the PAC related to Lundberg’s voting record.
Harshbarger is the son of U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-1st Congressional District.
Yager said in his letter to the Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance that the PAC and Diana Harshbarger share a campaign treasurer.
“There are many ways PACs can run afoul of campaign laws and skirt contribution limits,” Yager said in a statement to The Center Square. “Campaigns have contribution limits while PACs do not. There are also laws against coordination between campaigns and PACs.
“I believe the various connections between the Bobby Harshbarger campaign and the East Tennessee Conservatives PAC need to be scrutinized, and as chairman of the Senate Republican Caucus, this complaint was the best way I could bring these issues to light,” Yager said.
PAC Treasurer Thomas Datwyler is the treasurer for dozens of conservative campaigns and PACs across the country. He confirmed to The Center Square that “no money was shared between the campaigns or PAC’s in any way. That would be illegal.”
Datwyler said that his role is campaign finance compliance.
“I can promise you there is no coordination or connection between the Harshbarger’s and East Tennessee Conservatives PAC,” Datwyler told The Center Square.
Bobby Harshbarger told News Channel 11 that any allegations about collusion or skirting campaign finances laws were “completely false” and that he “absolutely” doesn’t know any of the people affiliated with the PAC.
“I think it’s just political theater, in all honesty, because what this is doing is just deflecting from his voting record,” Harshbarger said.
The East Tennessee Conservatives PAC is not affiliated with the grassroots East Tennessee Conservatives.
East Tennessee Conservative co-chair Susan Baugh said that she has been contacted by several people with confusion over the text messages.
The PAC is registered with an email for Ax Capital Compliance, where Datwyler is CEO. Ax Capital is a vendor that Diana Harshbarger’s campaign sent 24 payments for a total of nearly $29,000.
Overall, Diana Harshbarger is one of nearly 200 campaigns or PACs to pay Ax Capital for services, which Ax Capital’s website says include every detail of campaign accounting and campaign compliance.
Yager said that he is concerned with “falsehoods” sent in text messages by the East Tennessee Conservatives PAC.
“As a long-time public servant, I am familiar with political spin and campaign exaggerations,” Yager told The Center Square. “However, these blatantly untrue claims go far beyond that.”
Yager pointed to a text message saying Lundberg voted for tuition for illegal immigrants when he voted no on the bill, which failed by one vote in the House where Lundberg served at the time, meaning it was a crucial vote defeating the bill.
“I am aware of several other instances where Sen. Lundberg took a hardline in favor of strong borders and against illegal immigration,” Yager said. ”They are brazenly spreading falsehoods about a man’s public record. That is simply unacceptable in my view. Whether it is explicitly illegal is a question for the Registry of Election Finance or the Attorney General, which is why I filed the complaint.”
“I’m scratching my head,” Bobby Harshbarger told News Channel 11, “I don’t understand why he had a colleague of his file this. I don’t know if this is trying to keep his reputation in line.”
If this isn’t flat out wrong, it should be! To ‘sic’ law enforcement on your political opponent is just a POWER PLAY! But, isn’t this just more of the same…politicians who justify their actions to retain their power. Mike Johnson is co-opting the Democrat agenda rather than do what he promised to do as a speaker, all of which is another reason to heed what God’s word says – ‘Flee the very appearance of evil’! Using power at your disposal, against your political opponents should be illegal and Ken Yager and Jon Lundberg’s co-operative effort at doing so it very OBVIOUS! Hopefully their actions will help voters in their respective State Senatorial District’s make up their minds to vote AGAINST BOTH!
Three months before the battle is joined in the 2024 Republican primary the forces of the tepid conservative establishment, sensing conservative disgust with its performance and appetite for change, are getting together in order to defend tepid conservatism. After Jon Lundberg hired Never Trumper and tepid conservative Blake Harris to manage his campaign the news broke so did Beckey Massey. Now we see Ken Yager who is facing a conservative challenger of hs own helping embattled Ron Lundberg.
This is a good time for conservatives to once again focus on the following six challengers who are seeking to replace tepid conservatives up for re-nomination in this year’s Republican Primary:
Teena Headrick, https://teenahedrick.com/ is seeking to replace Ken Yager (TLRC-75/D-).
Ed LeCompte, https://www.edfortnsenate.com/, seeks to replace Todd Gardenhire (TLRC-67/B-).
Chris Spencer, https://www.chrisspencerforsenate.com/, wants to retire Ferrell Haile (TLRC78/F).
Monica Irvine, https://monicairvine.com/, wants to retire Becky Massey (TLC-76/D-).
And in the House,
Michele Reneau, https://www.electmichele.com/, wants to us to see the back of Patsy Hazlewood (TLRC-77), and
Lee Reeves, https://www.voteleereeves.com/, would like to be the conservative replacement for retiring “Worthless” Sam Whitson (TLRC-71/F).
Thanks for the info on lee Reeves. Whitson was a Dem and I knew it from the start. He campaigned being pro gas tax increase. He was a tool of Haslam. My only concern with Reeves is that Bev Burger is his campaign treasurer. I don’t trust Burger, she’s compromised as far I’m concerned.
You are aware that the “gas tax increase” was coupled with tax cuts for businesses and consumers, amounting to a NET DECREASE of the tax burden on Tennesseeans, right? And this helped shift the cost of funding Tennessee roads and highways, which are all DEBT FREE, to tourists, truckers, and thru-traffic that uses those roads? Shouldn’t the people using the roads pay for them? Don’t conservatives believe in the principle of “no free lunch?” Why should a retiree who only drives to church and the grocery store have to pay for roads used by people who don’t even live in our state. Personally, I’m all for the “gas tax increase” because I oppose road socialism.
I hope there’s a law that can be twisted to put that pair in jail. A dose of their own medicine would be good for their souls if not for their wallets.
The RINOs of Tennessee have and are receiving their termination notices. They have been allowed to manipulate the system to run as conservatives yet they vote with the deep state (yes, TN has a deeply disturbed deep state) to run our state into the ground and the jog is up. We will not allow these traitors to use the election process to demonize their opposition. They should remember that God sees everything and He has taken over. We will continue to expose the corruption that has been growing in the TN Legislature and pop it like a pimple. We are a Christian Conservative state and will grow stronger as jut that. We will not stand down, we will not lose the rights that God gave us, not politicians, and we will not be silenced. Reinforcements have arrived and we are legal residents of the USA.
Thats a sneaky trick the Libs use. They used it in Williamson County to attack a woman running for Mayor of Franklin. They filed 20 bogus “ethics” complaints. The media reported them all, giving the impression she had done something wrong. They were all bogus.
I don’t like that devious stuff, but conservatives might have to start doing it too.
You mean like it was weaponized against Gary Humble who dared to run against Jack Johnson? These RINO incumbents MUST be retired. Every one of us needs to contact anyone we know in these districts and support these candidates running against them. Monica Irvine is running in my area, and while she’s not in my district, we are doing everything we can to unseat Becky Massey.
RINO’s are also known as left leaning Trotskyites. They are using the same tactics as Joe, Garland, Hillary, Zelensky, Mitch, Chuck and others.
Can’t make it on merits because they have none, as well as no ethics.
Learn to play the game better than they.
They think that if you tell a lie big enough and long enough it will become truth.
The so called politicians are your servants and are to do your bidding.
Always remind the RINO’s that the USA is not a Democracy. The USA is a Constitutional Representative Republic with a Democratic process.
Democracy brings Socialism which in turn brings Fascism and Communism.
Rocky
Well
Said.
Thanks
TCS/TC