Final Installment In Series Of Three Articles
Image Credit: jeffersoncountytn.gov & Google Earth
The Tennessee Conservative [By David Seal] –
Jefferson County Election Commission Board members claimed several reasons in the approved minutes of their June meeting for abruptly firing Administrator of Elections Charles Gibson.
However, after the Tennessee Conservative News inquired about evidence to support their claims and gave the election board the opportunity to provide specific examples, no evidence or specific examples were provided by election board members.
Among the claims made by election commission board members in their approved June 18, 2025, board minutes, Gibson was accused of 1) being disrespectful to board members, 2) treating board members as election commission employees, 3) was not forthcoming about his retirement date, 4) undertook “hiring practices” and 5) “other.”
As of publication time of this news report, no evidence to support any of the accusations, or specific examples to support such claims, have been provided to this publication by the Jefferson County Election Commission.
The Tennessee Conservative News inquired with 8 questions on July 11, 2025, at 5:47 PM. All 8 questions remain unanswered.
The questions are as follows:
1) Your meeting minutes of June 18, 2025, cite disrespect to board members. What specific examples can you provide to substantiate your contention that Charles Gibson treated the Election Commission Board with disrespect?
2) Again, from the minutes listed above, can you provide any specific example(s) that Charles Gibson treated the election board members as his employees?
3) Please comment on your contention that Charles Gibson was not forthcoming with discussing his retirement date.
4) Please identify and provide examples, if any, that Charles Gibson undertook “hiring practices” that may have contributed to his employment termination.
5) One citation from the minutes of your June 18, 2025, meeting indicated that “other factors” were a reason for Terminating Charles Gibson’s employment as Administrator of Elections. Could you please define “other factors” in terms of reasoning for Gibson’s dismissal?
Concerning the Meeting Agenda of June 18, 2025,
6) Please explain why a new agenda was given out at the June 18, 2025, meeting and used instead of the original agenda that was transmitted to the Administrator of Elections for the public notice of the meeting.
Charles Gibson provided the following statement published in my previous news report. “During my 16-year term I have not had any complaints filed against me or the office regarding the performance of our duties. I am proud of the job our office has done, especially my staff.”
7) Could you please provide any examples in which Gibson’s job performance or execution of duties constituted poor job performance?
Gibson stated as follows in my previous news report. “Unfortunately, I was terminated by the board through the Chairman of the Election Commission for what seems to be personal reasons.”
8) Board members, could you please comment on the previous statement made by Gibson that he was terminated for personal reasons through the board chair. Please note that the vote to terminate was 5-0.
The Chairman of the Jefferson County Election Commission responded with the following statement to the 8 questions listed above. “I only have one vote and my reason was given. The vote was 5-0.” – said Phyllis McCracken, Chairman, Jefferson County Election Commission, Responding July 12, 2025, at 9:08 PM.
Election Commission Board members Betty Watkins, Paula Rugel Gibson, and Tim Collins did not respond to the questions. Jack Kramer resigned in June from the board.
A copy of the email inquiry to the election board by The Tennessee Conservative News is linked HERE.
One Response
Had a similar “deal” in Benton County. The ousted election administrator then ran against the mask mandate mayor who orchestrated his ouster, he’s now county mayor, and is a true Conservative.