It was all smiles and sportsmanship at a Friday forum for District 8 County Commission candidates.
But after the Southeast Tennessee Political Action Committee forum was over, the Republican in the race, Tim Boyd, continued to criticize his Democratic opponent, Kenny Smith, over a campaign donation he says was suspicious.
“I want to be a representative of the people with no connections with special interest groups,” Mr. Boyd said in his closing remarks at the forum, which he later said were a dig at Mr. Smith’s union contributions.
Mr. Smith, who is by far the leading fundraiser in the race with about $57,000 in contributions as of the last finance report in April, did not perceive the remark that way.
“I’m trying to keep it positive,” Mr. Smith said.
Mr. Smith has a discrepancy on his campaign finance records which raises questions about the source of a $5,000 contribution from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union. Records the money came from the union’s national office in Washington, D.C. But on April 24, Mr. Smith filed a revised campaign financial document identifying the union’s Chattanooga headquarters as the check’s source.
Mr. Boyd said Mr. Smith was not being honest with his constituents. Mr. Smith said it was an oversight on his part and he wasn’t trying to hide anything.
For complete details, see tomorrow’s Times Free Press.