The investigative work of Ken Jakes is paying off.
TBI Confirms Nashville Electric Service Investigation
By Phil Williams, Chief Investigative Reporter
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Electric Service has found itself at the center of a potential criminal investigation.
A spokesperson for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed Thursday that the agency is looking into questions first raised by NewsChannel 5 Investigates, along with some new questions.
Those new questions involve allegations of potential bid-rigging on an NES contract.
Sources with knowledge of the investigation emphasized it is still very much in the preliminary stages.
Our NewsChannel 5 investigation first raised questions back in late April about a contract for NES to provide services to Gaylord Opryland's big Christmas spectacular. (to read more and see the Channel 5 video)
My Comment
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| Ken Jakes |
This is serious stuff. NES big wigs personally benefited with free rooms and meals and tickets to shows in exchange for free equipment, labor and transformers on an intimized invoice for the lights for A Country Christmas. The invoice was for $ 56,000.00!
Ken Jakes is not mentioned in this story but this would never have come to light if not for the hard work of Ken Jakes. He spend hundred of hours poring over email records, reports and contracts and battling NES to force them to comply with his Freedom of Information request. He then turned the information over to the Attorney General and leaked the story to Channel 5. There is much more that may come to light. This is just the tip of the ice burg.
I asked Ken if he could shed more light on this story and he said, "All I can disclose is what the News report gave. I have been asked by the special agents involved in the case, because it is an ongoing pending investigation, to not disclose any further information. I will tell you I have thousands of other public records that NES has not provided and I have forwarded those request to the special agents."
Ken Jakes is a citizen activist who has exposed government corruption and mismanagement on numerous occasions. He is tenacious and untiring. He deserves a metal.
Ken is a former candidate for an at-large seat on the Metro Council. Last Council election, all of the sitting at-large members were reelected without a runoff. Next council election the at-large members will be term-limited out. I hope Ken runs again. We need someone like Ken Jakes on the Metro Council.
In the meantime, we owe Ken Jakes a big "thank you" for all of his hard work in investigating and exposing corruption and mismanagement.
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