June 30, 2005

Resolution Filed to Expel Newton

This will be in your morning newspaper tomorrow...
NASHVILLE - State Rep. Chris Clem has filed a resolution to expel indicted state Rep. Chris Newton, R-Cleveland, from the Tennessee House of Representatives. Clem, a Republican from Lookout Mountain, says he has 12 other Republican House members willing to sign on as co-sponsors of the resolution to expel Newton, who is one of four sitting lawmakers facing federal felony corruption charges stemming from the Operation Tennessee Waltz undercover sting in which FBI agents taped lawmakers accepting bribes from a front company seeking their help in passing a piece of legislation.

Expulsion is different from impeachment. The state Constitution allows the legislature to impeach governors, judges, secretary of state, comptroller and treasurer. In an impeachment, the House votes to impeach (indict) and then the Senate votes to convict and remove from office. However, the state constitution does not allow impeachment of legislators.

Instead, the House is allowed to expel a House member and the Senate is allowed to expel a Senate member. "That is exactly what this House Resolution 167 seeks to do," Newton said.

No Democratic member of the state Senate has yet filed a resolution to expel state Sen. Kathryn Bowers, D-Memphis, or state Sen. Ward Crutchfield, D-Chattanooga, who are facing similar federal felony corruption charges as Newton for allegedly accepting bribes. The fourth indicted lawmaker, state Sen. John Ford, D-Memphis, has already resigned.

Clem says Republicans in the House are right to take the lead in demanding that Newton, a fellow Republican, resign, and should expel him from the House if he refuses to resign.

"As you recall, it was Senate Republican Howard Baker and RNC Chairman George Bush who first approached republican Nixon and asked for his resignation. Likewise, it was Democrat Ned McWhorter who first approached Democrat Gov. Ray Blanton and asked him to resign," said Clem. "It does not do much good for the opposing party to demand resignations. Each party (like each legislative chamber) must first clean up its own mess."

Noting that Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Bob Davis has already called for Newton's resignation, Clem said, "It certainly carries a lot more weight when the leadership of your own party calls for your resignation. Unfortunately, in the instant case the party affiliation is a bit complicated. Chris Newton has been rumored for years to be threatening to switch parties. He is a close confidant of Jimmy Naifeh. He is one of Naifeh's chairmen. Newton has also opposed and thwarted Republican initiatives while at the same time attended Democrat leadership meetings.

"When State Republican Chairman Bob Davis asked Newton to resign, Chris was not very responsive. Likewise, as members sign onto this resolution to expel Chris from the House, Chris does not appear concerned. I am now convinced that Chris Newton would be more responsive if Democrat leadership approaches him to ask for his resignation," Clem said.

In a related development, a former friend and political ally of Newtown has issued a stirring call for his friend to resign. J.C. Bowman, a native of Cleveland, Tennessee, who ran for the state House in 1994, the same year Newton was elected in a nearby district.

"Chris (Newton) was always a supporter of term limits and in fact campaigned on them. In 1996 he sponsored legislation that set as a maximum limit of 12 years for state representatives and senators. Since he was elected in 1994, message to Chris, the time to go is now and your time is up anyway," Bowman wrote in a long essay posted on his website.

"I like Chris Newton," Bowman said. "People should pray for him and support him on a personal level, and maybe we are no longer friends in his book. But only a true friend would tell Chris Newton that the time has come for him to step down before he is either removed for ethics violations by his colleagues or his constituents. Everyday he remains as a Tennessee Representative is an insult to the hard working people who elected him and those he serves whether he is guilty or not.

"What makes this column especially painful is the need I have to exert some of the small influence I possess to call upon a long time friend Chris Newton, to step down from political office as a Tennessee Representative for his alleged role in this sordid affair. Chris was quoted in the June 6, 2005, Tennessean saying: 'You find out who your true friends are during times of tribulations like this.'

"You also find out who your true public servants are as well, Chris. So cancel my Christmas card if you must, but no man is above the law and it is time to put your constituents in front of your self-interest in this case. Your real friends should be telling you that as well."

Bowman is currently director for the Center for Education Innovation at Florida State University. Before that, he served as the Director for the Florida Department of Education Choice Office and as the Chief Policy Analyst of the Education Policy Unit for Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.