Rep. Matthew Hill Lies: About Tennessee Department of Safety Commissioner Fred Phillips

The following excerpt is from a Johnson City Press interview with Tennessee 7th District House candidate Fred Phillips rebutting Rep. Matthew Hill's and the Hill campaign team's purposeful misrepresentation of the facts pertaining to Fred Phillips tour of duty as Tennessee Department of Safety Commissioner:

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By Ben Ingram
Press Staff Writer
bingram@johnsoncitypress.com

Democratic nominee Fred Phillips isn’t ducking any questions in his quest for the 7th District’s state representative seat — including those pertaining to his time as commissioner of safety under Gov. Phil Bredesen.

Phillips resigned the post following allegations of political favoritism, the revelation that several Tennessee Highway Patrol employees had past criminal charges that ranged from aggravated assault to reckless endangerment and the resignation of THP Commander Col. Lynn Pitts.

“I’m probably asked once at each stop,” said Phillips, who is opposed by incumbent Republican Matthew Hill. “And I always ask voters if they have any questions about the Department of Safety thing.

“I was told that the department was in good shape when I was hired. The fact is, Bredesen’s administration didn’t hire any of those people. And they surely wouldn’t have been hired as a Washington County deputy sheriff.”

Phillips, in a meeting with the Johnson City Press editorial board, said it was his choice to leave the post even though the governor had asked him to see it through.

Phillips has since turned his attention toward politics and doing the right thing for Washington County — which he believes is new representation in the 7th District.

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