Election Interference in Tennessee's 16th Judicial Race?
CHASE MATHESON - april 28, 2022
RUTHERFORD/CANNON COUNTY, TN -- Micheal Jones, candidate for Circuit Court Judge in the 16th Judicial district has released a video accusing the Rutherford County GOP Chairman Austin Maxwell of conspiring to keep him off the Republican Primary ballot. As it stands, no other Republican candidate qualified, or attempted to qualify, to run in this race.
The incumbent, was originally appointed by Governor Phil Bredesen--the last Democratic Governor for the State of Tennessee.
Jones also alleges in his video that there has been a long-standing understanding within the GOP that the incumbent, Honorable Judge Mark Rogers, would "retire in a year or two and [the establishment] would get to engage in the nomination process."
Even more telling is the claim that a text message sent to State Representative Sparks from Rutherford County GOP Chairman Austin Maxwell stated pressure was being applied to Maxwell to keep Mr. Jones off the GOP ballot. Jones also alleges that just days later he was asked via a proxy to withdraw his name from the race in exchange for the support of a Senior Judge with the Tennessee Supreme Court, Don Ashe, in his next race.
watch micheal jones tell you what happened to him in his own words