Not “Red” but “ROTTEN to the Roots” says Rocky Top Politics. Beth Campbell called out for her support of Walker Ferrell.

Rocky Top Politics is continuing to milk the TNGOP Ferrell scandal for all it is worth but they really haven't turned up anything new. They have called out SEC member Beth Campbell for her defense of Walker Ferrell. To summarize what the scandal is all about, Waller Ferrell is the Political Director of the TNGOP and he is married to Taylor Ferrell.  Taylor Ferrell has a contract with the Party to provide logistics support for the Party, having to do with the upcoming convention, things like arranging travel and such.  Taylor Ferrell also has a political consulting business called Southland Advantage that raises money for candidates seeking office.  Some of her clients are running in the primary against incumbent Republican office holders. A bunch of Republican office holders signed a letter calling for Walter Ferrell's resignation. To see who signed the letter and for more on this follow this link.


Beth Campbell is a member of the SEC and she has pointing out that Taylor Ferrell is not a Party employee but a contract employee and that she can have what ever clients she wants.  RTP has taken her to task for that position (link).  I consider Beth Campbell my friend but I think she is wrong on this count. I agree with RTP.   The difference between being a contract service provider and an employee is a distinction without a difference. In my view even if Taylor Ferrell did not have a contract with the Party, I still think what she is doing is wrong.  When a couple are married they share information and income. If  Walker Ferrell's wife is earning money representing clients seeking to defeat incumbent Republican office holders, that is a conflict.  It may not technically violate a rule, but it ought to.  I am not buying the argument that who Taylor Ferrell has as her clients is her business.

As distasteful as this situation is, I am equally concerned about a current member of the Executive Committee who has actually been a paid campaigner working to elect a Democrat to office while serving as a member of the Party and who had access to Party strategy and had a vote in determining how much money to appropriate to fund the Republican he was working to defeat. I am speaking of Mark Winslow.

To me, it does not matter which faction of the party one identifies with or who you are trying to oust.  It does not matter if you are part of the "establishment"  or the insurgent conservative faction, the principle should be the same.  If you are a County Chairman, or a member of the Executive Committee or an employee of the Party you should not engage in primary campaigns and you should certainly not be working to elect Democrats and defeat Republicans.  And your spouse should not be doing so either. I know people have to earn a living, but if you earn your living helping people get elected to office and that conflicts with your position with the Party, you should resign your position with the Party.  One cannot serve two masters. That is the same principle whether you are Mark Winslow or Walter Ferrell.

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