Washington County TN ethics committee reviews complaint against commissioner, takes no action

Before Monday night’s BWXT rezoning vote, Washington County, Tennessee’s ethics committee took up a complaint against a commissioner. The complaint alleged Commissioner Richard Tucker threatened a resident who spoke against delaying the rezoning vote. However, the Ethics committee’s power is limited by state law. The committee reviewed the surveillance video that had aired on News 5 last week of the argument and reviewed a deputy’s report of the incident. Audience members in attendance were dismayed at the Committee’s lack of response. At one point a question from a person in attendance asked if “a direct threat issued by a county official to a constituent does not violate the code of ethics”? The county attorney then told the gallery that procedurally, that there would be no “to and fro” from constituents and commissioners. Some residents left mid meeting and some used colorful language to describe the proceedings.