Image Credit: Marsha Blackburn for Governor / David Hatley for Governor / Canva
Article by The Tennessee Conservative News Staff –
The Marsha Blackburn for Tennessee Governor campaign just released information about Independent candidate David Hatley’s background that includes a federal bank fraud conviction, jail time and an order to pay restitution.
The Blackburn campaign release states:
“According to federal court records, David Hatley was convicted of federal bank fraud after spending two years passing bad checks and lying to an FBI agent. He served time in federal prison and was ordered to pay $37,958.13 in restitution.
Hatley repeatedly passed bad checks, deceived others, and then lied to federal law enforcement. His conduct resulted in a felony conviction and time behind bars.
Hatley also lost his right to vote following his felony conviction and did not have his voting rights restored until 2025, according to a report from WJHL. Until last year, Hatley could not legally cast a ballot in Tennessee. While his right to vote has been restored, Hatley remains unable to legally possess a firearm.
Hatley is attempting to present himself to voters as a successful businessman, but his record raises serious questions about his honesty, judgment, and qualifications to lead. Tennesseans should not trust the state’s finances- or the governor’s office- to someone convicted of defrauding a bank.
David Hatley cannot erase his conviction, his prison sentence, or the record that put him behind bars.”
The Tennessee Conservative reached out to Hatley for a response to the allegations and received this response:
“Senator Blackburn’s team spent a lot of money to tell Tennessee a story I already told them myself.
Years before I ever thought about running for office, I wrote a book about my life; the highs, the lows, the mistake I made as a young man in business, and everything I built after it. Nobody made me write it. No reporter was calling. So, her packet isn’t a revelation. It’s a book report.
And it’s a sloppy one. They took things that happened decades ago, stripped the dates off them, and arranged them to look like last year. They left out that every one of those matters was settled and closed almost a decade ago. A calendar would have ruined the whole document.
Here’s what her researchers couldn’t find, because it isn’t in a courthouse file:
I didn’t grow up with a silver spoon. Nobody mentored me, and nobody handed me a company or a name or a soft place to land. I learned life the real way, and I paid for the education. There was a time when I thought my mistake ruined by life, but God wasn’t done with me and I went to work. Nine companies later. Eleven patents. 750+ Tennesseans on a payroll and I gave them ownership in what they built, because the people who believed in me, and what we were building together, deserved more than just a thank you.
There are people all over this state carrying something. They’ve been taught it’s the end of their story. It isn’t. You are not defined by the worst thing you ever did. You’re defined by who you decide to be afterward.
Senator Blackburn thinks my past disqualifies me. I think it’s the reason I understand this state better than she does.
I’ve never hidden a day of my life. I wrote it down and put my name on the cover, and I gave it away for free. You can download it Book – David Hatley for Governor or request an interview with me. I’m an open book- literally.”
The Hatley campaign also issued a follow-up statement when asked by The Tennessee Conservative to specifically address the allegations made by the Blackburn campaign.
“At this point, Marsha Blackburn can carry her own water on this and if she really feels like this is about ensuring we have an informed electorate, then she can have the fortitude to stand on a debate stage with David and ask questions to his face rather than hide behind websites and planted ‘research.’ “
Sources:
Marsha Blackburn Gubernatorial Campaign.
David Hatley Gubernatorial Campaign.
6 Responses
As the man said, he exposed this in a free book about himself. His humility is what is so appealing, plus I do have a “sorted” past that I have righted albeit over 20 years ago….I still believe that he is the conservative’s choice.
Monte Fritz was the conservative’s choice. Hatley is trying to play spoiler and wouldn’t surprise me if we find out that he’s got an in with Jerri Green.
I agree with you. We have all done things that we have regretted. He admitted to his wrong doing in public. For the Blackburn campaign to bring this up is like calling the kettle black. She refuses to do debates, interviews and excepts money from big donors. She needs to look at her past and present as well. She isn’t above reproach and take a good long look in the mirror. I know I will not be voting for her just because she is a [republican].
In God we trust not government or man.
Have a blessed day.
Is Granny AIPAC going to explain taking over $600,000 from a foreign country lobby while working as our Senator?
https://www.trackaipac.com/states/tennessee?rq=Blackburn%20
Hatley must be a real threat if she crawled out of the basement and admitted he exists.
One of the major Media outlets needs to host a Gubernatorial Debate and invite ALL of the current Tennessee candidates for Governor to participate. Any candidate who would not attend and answer the moderator’s questions AND questions from the voters, would never get my vote. Tennessee needs to elect the best possible candidate for Governor. This may not be the most politically connected candidate, the candidate with the most money or the candidate who can fool the most people into thinking that they are something that they are not, with slick TV ads.
David committed the crime at 21 and served 23 days in jail. Stupid that Marsha’s campaign is even bringing this up. It really shows how stupid and bad she really is.
She was useless in the senate and house rep. She will be worse than useless as governor.