Campaign Consultant Accuses State GOP of Conflict of Interest

Says State GOP Chairman Haynes Should Apologize Publicly to Elected Republicans

Press Release, NASHVILLE, TN -  Today, Jeff Hartline, Campaign Consultant to Tennessee conservative candidates is calling for State Republican Party Chairman, Ryan Haynes, to publicly apologize to several elected Republicans for his ignoring obvious conflicts of interest between State GOP Political Director Walker Ferrell’s wife and Federal and State House seat challengers.

The obvious conflict of interest was made public back in April when a letter signed by more than two dozen Tennessee House members, and addressed to Chairman Haynes, objected to the inappropriate relationship between Taylor Ferrell and the State Party.  Ms. Ferrell, wife of Political Director Walker Ferrell, had received a contract from the State GOP and was officing part time in the GOP’s 21^st Avenue offices, while at the same time working with Republican challengers running against Incumbent Republicans.

Hartline said, “This situation is part and parcel of the problems that have existed in the State GOP for years.  These officials appear to be tone-deaf to the people that have given them a supermajority in the State House and State Senate.  While their ‘real’ job is to help Republicans beat Democrats across the state, the races they have managed against Democrats for the past two cycles have been absolute disasters. Their record is so bad it almost looks like they are losing on purpose. Keep in mind these are the same folks that tell candidates who are challenging Democrats that the State GOP will not ‘help’ them if the candidate considers employing an ‘Outside’ Consultant.”

Despite calls for the firing of the Political Director, Haynes has refused to even acknowledge anything wrong has been done.  Apparently, this is just “business as usual”.

“As far back as February, Ms. Ferrell was the RSVP contact for a fundraiser for one of these challengers,” said Hartline.  “I guess I was not aware that the State Party had decided to involve itself in primaries and take a leading role in defeating solid conservative Incumbents.  The fact that Ms. Ferrell was on the State Party payroll, officing in their headquarters, and living with their political Director while at the same time consulting with challengers to Incumbent Republican legislators did not seem to be a conflict of interest at all to Chairman Haynes.”

He concluded, “If he knew this was occurring, Haynes should himself resign.  If his ethics will not allow him to do that, he should at least issue a formal public apology to the Republican Incumbents he has used the State Party to attack in this manner. 

“Additionally, these challengers should also issue public apologies to their Incumbent opponents for their collusion in this matter since there was no way that they could not have known this was a blatant conflict of interest.”

Top Stories