Image Credit: Chattanooga Police Department / Hamilton County Election Commission
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
Charles Van Morgan of Knoxville, who is an Independent candidate for Tennessee Governor, was arrested for allegedly harassing early voters at the Hamilton County Election Commission on Monday, October 24th.
The Chattanooga Police report cites that Morgan violated Title 2 of Tennessee Code under the statute concerning “Election Law Violations.”
According to an affidavit obtained by Local 3 News, Morgan was screaming about politics, cursing at voters and telling them they did not have the right to vote.
Van Morgan posted a video of the encounter on his Facebook page.
When he was approached by a Hamilton County Election Commission employee who told him, “You don’t have the right to intimidate voters and I’m getting complaints inside.”
Van Morgan replied that the complaints were due to “them voting for the opposition.”
The employee replied, “That doesn’t matter.”
Van Morgan replied, “I can ask them to vote for me…I ain’t giving up my seat!”
As the employee walked away, Van Morgan shouted, “I’ve got the right to campaign!”
According to the arrest affidavit, Chattanooga Police spoke with witnesses and identified Van Morgan as the person causing the disturbance.
The arrest report states that officers approached Van Morgan after those operating the voting site asked that he be removed.
Reports say that Van Morgan attempted to walk away when police attempted to place him under arrest. Officers struggled with Van Morgan to put his hands behind his back, eventually managing to arrest him. Reports note that he also had a handgun on his person. He was subsequently transported to Silverdale Jail.
Van Morgan has been charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and intimidation of voters.
Van Morgan is one of eight Independent gubernatorial candidates on the November 8th ballot.
WATE reports that Van Morgan is a former Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper who was fired in 2012 after driving past a fatal wreck.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
