October 10, 2007

Tennessee GOP Slams Naifeh's "Culture of Corruption"

The Tennessee Republican Party has released a statement blistering the "culture of corruption" in Democratic House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh's state House of Representatives in the wake of today's disclosure in the Nashville Scene that Speaker Naifeh knew of Democrat Rep. Rob Briley's affair with the trial lawyers' lobbyist when he appointed Briley to chair the Judiciary Committee, through which legislation of interest to the Trial Lawyers often passes.

Briley's relationship with Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, which the Scene said was "common knowledge" at the Capitol, only came to the public's attention after Briley's arrest on charges including drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident after Briley led police on a long, drunken, high-speed chase through Wilson County.

The Tennessee GOP press release follows...

NAIFEH CONTINUES CULTURE OF CORRUPTION IN STATE CAPITOL
Clearly, Operation Tennessee Waltz has not changed the culture of corruption in the State Capitol. If recent media accounts are accurate--revealing that Speaker Naifeh knew of Democrat Rep. Rob Briley's affair with the trial lawyers' lobbyist when he appointed Briley to chair the Judiciary Committee--the Democrat Leader of the House has committed an egregious assault on legislative ethics and decency. The House Judiciary Committee serves as the committee governing most legislation of interest to the trial lawyers and their lobbyists. It is appalling that the relationship was common knowledge on Capitol Hill while not one Democrat stepped forward to voice their objection.

"Legislative corruption does not only occur when cash bribes exchange hands," stated Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Robin Smith. "Political corruption seems to be fostered by Speaker Naifeh and the Democratic Caucus by arranging a system that allows a select few to control the flow of legislation."

In an article published Wednesday in the Nashville Scene, reporter Jeff Woods wrote that those he had interviewed recognize "the Capitol's well-publicized culture of sleaze" regarding the House Judiciary Committee Chairman's appointment despite his well-known relationship with a key lobbyist of the powerful House committee.

"We look forward to the 2008 elections, when voters will have the opportunity to elevate Republicans to leadership and restore trust to Tennesseans and return ethics and decency to the State House."