Hornback Responds

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Former County Commissioner Madeline Rogero echoes the sentiments of political columnist Frank Cagle in calling for a grand jury investigation of the allegations being made by former Knox County employee Tyler Harber.
Harber, speaking to Halls News Shopper reporter Betty Bean, claims, while he was paid for work in the Pre-Trial Release and Probation department, his real job was doing political work for Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale. Harber says his case load was "zero."
Ragsdale has not responded to the charges. His spokesman Dwight Van DeVate issued a statement calling Harber a "troubled young man."
Rogero says a cloud hangs over the county mayor's office and the public has the right to know if what Harber is saying is true. She also says the mayor should have the right to clear his name, whether it's a grand jury or some other investigative agency.
Part Three of Betty Bean's expose on Tyler Harber centered around former Knox County GOP chair Chad Tindell and his departure from that post. Harber claiming Ragsdale became upset with Tindell after he refused to release a list of GOP supporters.
Brian Hornback was elected to replace Tindell.
Bean's story paints an unflattering picture of Hornback as one of Ragsdale's boys. "100% loyal and very easily influenced...would take his cues from us," is how Harber described Hornback.
Hornback was not quoted in the Bean article. He e-mailed me with this statement:
"I find it interesting in Part III of Halls Shopper News (Scripps owned) that Bean reports alot about me, but she NEVER contacted me (email, phone at home, home office, cell or the KnoxGOP office) about the story and did not request any comments from me about what was said about me.
"In my campaign for Chairman. I paid (personal funds) for my stickers that were used at the Lincoln Day Dinner. I called precinct chairmen and women. I contacted key players and personally asked for their support. I had the support of EVERY elected official in Knox County, including the Sheriff and the Mayor. No one person or group paid for any campaign expenses (stationary, postage or stickers) that I incurred. I campaigned for Chairman the old fashioned way.
"Chad Tindell did not assist my campaign in any way. He did attempt to recruit any living breathing human being to run against me.
"With regards to the list. The Executive Committee and I within one week gave the list to EVERY Republican official. During the Mayoral race I gave it to Steve Hall twice and have given it to any countywide and state Republican candidate that has requested it. There was an Press Release to that effect, when we arrived at that decision.
"Brian Hornback"

I contacted the Halls News Shopper about the Hornback statement. Bean responded to it:
"On the slender chance you are interested in my response, it is this:
"Hornback played a very minor, incidental role in this story. The fact that Team Ragsdale (including Tyler Harber) supported him for the chairmanship is not at issue here, and he is not implicated by anyone in the email controversy, which is at the heart of this chapter.
"This story was more than 10,000 words long as it was, so I had to prioritize, and inserting a self-serving comment from Brian Hornback about how he won an uncontested race for party chairman was not germane to the issue of who stole Chad Tindell's emails.
"Perhaps I should have asked him to explain why he fired the office volunteers, but, again, this story wasn't really about Brian Hornback, and Harber's "spoils of war" explanation was sufficient -- so I pretty much gave him a pass on that issue and didn't lay it at his doorstep. I think he comes off better that way."
"BB"