Breaking news: Blount County Sheriff's Assistant Chief Deputy files ethics complaint against commissioner

By Jessica Stith
of The Daily Times Staff

Blount County Assistant Chief Deputy Jeff French has filed a complaint against Blount County Commissioner Wendy Pitts Reeves, who he said made false accusations toward him at a Feb. 21 commission meeting.

French said he filed the complaint with the Blount County Ethics Committee on Tuesday.

Blount County Mayor Jerry Cunningham said he had not read the complaint but said, “I think she accused him of wearing a wire” at a commission meeting or work session.

French confirmed that Pitts Reeves told him outside of a commission meeting on Feb. 21 that “she wouldn’t talk to me because I was probably wearing a wire.” He said his complaint states that Pitts Reeves also made a statement to him concerning “a Mr. McTigue,” who was allegedly followed home one night after a commission meeting.

French said Pitts Reeves made accusations of either having McTigue followed by the sheriff’s office, or having knowledge that the man was followed.

According to the Blount County Citizens of Better Government Web site (www.blounttn.net), a 77-year-old Ron McTigue “found himself being waved out of the Commission room into the hall by Sheriff James Berrong” at the January commission meeting. The Web site alleges Berrong told McTigue that if he continued to ask questions about missing sheriff’s vehicles, he would sue McTigue.
“Strangely, a black unmarked car followed McTigue home from the commission meeting and parked in front of his house,” the Web site alleges.

According to www.whois.net, a domain-base research service that monitors Web site registrations, the Blount County Citizens for Better Government is registered to James Foltz, Watershaw Drive, Friendsville.

Pitts Reeves said she could not comment on the complaint, but said the Ethics Committee meets Tuesday at 6 p.m.

She is chair of the Blount County Ethics Committee and said that if complaints filed with the Ethics Committee involved a member of the committee, they “should and would recuse themselves.”

Pitts Reeves said the upcoming meeting is the first where the Ethics Committee will deal with complaints filed with the committee. Apparently two more complaints have been filed with the committee.

Pitts Reeves said the Ethics Committee only deals with two types of complaints: “potential conflicts of interest” complaints and complaints regarding county officials accepting substantial “gifts” intended to influence the official’s actions.

She said members of the committee include herself, Commissioner Ron French, Commissioner Joe McCulley, Blount County school board member John Davis and Blount County Clerk and Master Brenda Flowers.

French said he was filing his complaint as a county employee, and not on behalf of the sheriff’s office.

“I am a county employee and as a county employee — I think she crossed the line when she made accusations against me,” French said.

French added that if Pitts Reeves “thought that I was doing something unethical, she should have went to my bosses, the sheriff or the chief deputy.”

French said further details of the allegations are detailed in his complaint filed at the Blount County Courthouse.