NASHVILLE — A former employee of the D.T. McCall & Sons furniture store chain told a newspaper Wednesday he has given investigators documentation of his claim that the company sold merchandise for cash without turning in sales taxes to the state.
The Lebanon Democrat reported that Jim Allen, of Hartsville, Tenn., said it was a common practice at a D.T. McCall & Sons store where he worked for two years. Allen said the practice was encouraged by McCall’s management, the newspaper reported.
Allen told the newspaper he came forward publicly after others mischaracterized the investigation as partisan politics or a routine look at business errors. He said he was a whistleblower for the Revenue Department.
The McCalls are prominent Republican donors. The president of the chain, A.J. McCall, ran unsuccessfully for the state House in 2008 and considered running for the state Senate this year.
The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported last week that law enforcement officials confirmed the TBI and FBI were investigating former Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr’s handling of sales tax cases, including the D.T. McCall & Sons matter.