Amy Broyles Spends Your Tax Dollars on a Political Event

While we have begun our review of the Knox County Commissioners Discretionary Spending we have discovered that Commissioner Amy Broyles spent our tax money on a political event. On 5/26/09 Knox County Check number 282233 for $600 was given to Hubert Smith for the Knoxville Presidential Inauguration Celebration. This was a brunch event held at 9:00 a.m. on January 20, 2009 at the Crowne Plaza on the day of President Obama’s inauguration. The event was organized by Hubert Smith. On January 13, 2009, Roy Cruze was introduced by Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam at the Knoxville City Council meeting. In Cruze’s announcement of the event, he stated that a portion of the $60 tickets or $600 table sponsorships would benefit Lost Sheep Ministries.

Knox County Auditor Richard Walls should investigate what percentage of the $600 benefited Lost Sheep Ministries. Broyles should be required to refund the $600 and then Knox County can issue a check to Lost Sheep Ministries in the amount that they received from Smith and the other organizers of the brunch. Here is a December 5, 2008 news story about the event. A review of organizations defined as non profit and/or 501-C-3 does not find Knoxville Presidental Inaugurational Committee as a non profit or 501-C-3. The inauguration is political in nature. In January 2001 and January 2005 it was a Republican celebration as President George W. Bush was inaugurated. On January 20, 2009 it was Democrat in nature as Barack Obama is a Democrat. Broyles is also a Democrat.

Was the reason that Broyles waited nearly four months to pay the bill a stall tactic so as to slip a political payment under the radar? Broyles has some explaining to do.