Volkswagen Chattanooga

Tennessee's attorney general today sought to revoke subpoenas for Gov. Bill Haslam and other state officials which were served earlier by the United Auto Workers for the union's appeal hearing next week.

State Attorney General Robert Cooper said the subpoenas are overly broad, unduly burdensome, and seek information that is not relevant to the National Labor Relations Board hearing. Cooper's filing also seeks to delay the hearing, which is slated for Monday in Chattanooga.

The attorney general's petition seeks to quash the subpoenas of Haslam, Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Bo Watson, Speaker of the House Beth Harwell, and House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick as well as State Economic Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty, aide Will Alexander, and Tres Wittum, Watson's aide.

The UAW in its appeal has cited interference by third-party groups and Republican politicians in the election in which VW workers rejected the union's organizing attempt by a 53 percent to 47 percent margin.

See more in Friday's Times Free Press.