State Rep. Rick Tillis, whose district includes parts of Marion and Franklin counties in Tennessee.NASHVILLE - Tennessee Rep. Rick Tillis, R-Lewisburg, has stepped down from his leadership role as House majority whip amid allegations he was involved in an anonymous Twitter account that criticized and derided some fellow Republicans and GOP political staffers.
Tillis, whose House District 92 includes Marshall and parts of Marion, Franklin and Lincoln counties, resigned the post Aug. 30, according to an email sent to members by the GOP Caucus chairman, Jeremy Faison of Cosby.
It comes after months of turmoil among Republicans, leading first to the resignation of Rep. Glen Casada as House speaker, then the subsequent Aug. 23 election of then-GOP Caucus Chairman Cameron Sexton as his replacement in the chamber, and finally a second election where Faison replaced Sexton as caucus chief.
In his email to GOP members, Faison said he and Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, have decided to hold off for now on calling for the caucus to meet to elect a new whip. He said he and Lamberth "know that there is fatigue on leadership races. We will personally pick up any responsibilities the Whip has (not too many responsibilities at this time of year) between now and the next time we meet."
Freshman Rep. Mark Hall, R-Cleveland, has shown keen interest in running for the whip post, going so far in July as to send an email to fellow caucus members in which he announced his bid for the post even as debate raged among members over Tillis' involvement in @CHBmole, short for the Cordell Hull Building where Tennessee legislators have their offices and committee rooms.
That came after Rep. Andy Holt, R-Dresden, charged in May that Tillis, the brother of U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., was behind an anonymous Twitter account featuring the sometimes derogatory tweets.
It became a hot topic in closed-door sessions of the GOP Caucus last month as lawmakers convened publicly to elect Sexton to replace Casada, who was forced to resign over multiple controversies including exchanging sexually explicit texts about women with a top aide. Tillis is said to have lost a confidence vote in the caucus.
Holt and Lamberth told The Tennessean that Tillis had acknowledged involvement in the @CHBmole account, which was discontinued.
In his announcement letter back in July, Hall, a former Bradley County commissioner, wrote that "with all of the difficult times we have just been through, I believe we need a strong leader who will bring unity and direction to the caucus."
"With my experience in the military and running a successful business, I believe that I have what it takes to lead this body," added Hall, who owns a barber shop and is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow on Twitter @AndySher1.