JASPER, Tenn. – Several Marion County election commissioners said they received drafts of the state comptroller’s investigation into payments to election workers by former administrator Holly Henegar on Thursday.
Copies of Comptroller Justin Wilson’s audit arrived by mail but the documents are not public and must be kept confidential by law for the time being, Marion County Attorney Billy Gouger said after an election commission meeting Thursday.
Election Commissioner Isabelle Condra confirmed that she received a copy but said she could not discuss its contents. Election Commissioner Ed Griffits said the investigation is ongoing.
District Attorney Mike Taylor said the TBI and comptroller’s office told him that he should see the final report regarding the investigation by the first or second week of September.
A former election commission employee whom Henegar fired filed a complaint Feb. 1 alleging that Henegar funneled money to her husband through underage family members working during elections.
Henegar resigned April 8 and the fired employee’s husband, Gary Reames, was named elections administrator May 27.
An investigation has been under way for months, Taylor said, and investigators now are probing additional allegations of theft of county funds.
The Marion County grand jury won’t meet again until the first Monday in October, he said.
“Whatever can be presented I hope will be presented at that time,” he said.
Blake Fontenay, spokesman for the comptroller’s office, first said Friday he was unsure where the investigation stands or what his office’s involvement is.
After looking into the matter, Fontenay declined to comment.
“Our hands are kind of tied when it comes to making statements while an investigation is going on,” he said.
Attorney John Ray Clemmons, who represented Henegar at a State Elections Board hearing in February, said Friday he was not aware election commissioners had received copies of the audit and was not privy to the status of the probe.
Clemmons said he doesn’t represent Henegar in any criminal matter.