Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)Because of a potential conflict of interest, Hamilton County District Attorney Neal Pinkston’s allegations of witness tampering and obstruction of justice against political challenger Coty Wamp will be reviewed by the DA in Nashville instead of Pinkston himself.
Pinkston on Jan. 6 asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to look into potential misconduct by Wamp, who spoke with people involved after an argument resulted in a gunshot into the ground at a home in Soddy-Daisy two days earlier. Wamp was convinced the wrong man was arrested, and Pinkston raised a concern that the victims changed their story after speaking with her.
TBI officials for weeks told the Times Free Press they would not make their findings public, and would instead report back to Pinkston. But the newspaper reported last week that an outside DA was being brought in. The selection of Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk was made known Monday.
Wamp and Pinkston are both Republicans, facing off in a May 3 primary. Funk is a Democrat who has irritated state lawmakers with positions such as refusing to prosecute certain low-level drug offenses.
The Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee determined that Pinkston continuing to oversee the matter could appear to be a conflict of interest considering the DA is running against Wamp, who serves as legal counsel in the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.