Repeated Examples of Electioneering Going on in Farragut
I have been documenting illegal electioneering going on in Farragut at the Town Hall during early voting.
Federal law prohibits any electioneering within 75 feet of an entrance to a polling location. Tennessee law is 100 feet.
Incumbent Mayor and candidate for re-election Ron Williams was in Town Hall talking to voters in line to vote on Friday July 15th. I have spoken to someone who personally witnessed this.
Ron Williams again talked to voters inside the Town Hall on Tuesday July 19th. This was the day he voted. I have spoken to someone who personally witnessed this.
I called the Knox County Election Commission on Thursday July 21st to share my research with Chris Davis. He is in charge at the Election Commission. He left me a voicemail approximately 5:15pm that day acknowledging he has received complaints about Ron Williams and that Chris spoke to him about what was going on.
I received a text message on Saturday July 23rd just before noon showing an SUV with Ron Williams for Mayor magnets on the side of it parked right in front of the side entrance to Farragut Town Hall. Turns out the car belongs to a poll worker at that time. She was notified of this by my source and removed the magnets immediately. She has been a poll worker for a long time and knows better. I do not believe she intended to illegally electioneer. (I have blacked out the license plate).
Just before 1pm on Saturday I drove over to Farragut Town Hall to confirm the above mentioned election violation was resolved and it was. I then drove around back and witnessed Ron Williams walking out the back of the Town Hall. Here is a photo from the entrance door to the back of Town Hall.
Ron Williams is Mayor. He is allowed to be in the building to do his mayoral duties. He is not allowed to talk to voters, which I have documented at least twice.
Ron Williams is quoted in the July 27th Farragut Press saying he
“visited the Farragut Museum — located in Town Hall — earlier in the day, which was opening day of its new 1982 World’s Fair 40th Anniversary exhibit,” adding he’s also “a member of the Museum Committee.”
Below is a screenshot from Farragut’s town calendar. No mention of any event at Town Hall that Ron Williams attended.
On Friday July 29th, I was informed about another election violation where articles from the Farragut Press were posted on the bulletin board right outside of the entrance to voting.
This was reported to the Knox County Election Commission and removed expeditiously.
On Saturday July 30th at approximately 2:30pm, I was notified from a voter that he witnessed copies of the Farragut Press sitting in a newspaper box at the front entrance to Farragut Town Hall. I went over to Town Hall and confirmed there is a newspaper box, but there were no papers in it at the time. If there were papers in it during early voting, this is also illegal.
While I was investigating the newspaper box story, I noticed an SUV parked within 100 feet of the front entrance with a Will Edwards bumper sticker on it. I have blacked out the license plate. This is also electioneering.
I posted on Next Door asking if anyone had witnessed newspapers being at the front of Farragut Town Hall during early voting and one of the Povlin/Williams disciples mocked my post twice. His first response was removed.
What you are noticing is a systemic pattern of disregarding the law. It starts with Mayor Williams and continues to their most loyal and obedient disciples and apologists.
We have these electioneering laws so all voters can vote with a clear conscience and without any undue influence.
Ron Williams is not being held accountable and it is time that he is.
Story written by Sean Murphy
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