Thread by @NC5PhilWilliams

Remember when then-House Speaker Glen Casada went on talk radio and lied about my reporting? What follows is an analysis of Metro Council member Robert Swope's interview today with @DanMandisShow 1/ newschannel5.com/news/newschann…

Swope told @DanMandisShow the he never proposed any deals with the city, any memorandum of understanding, that he ceased all conversations about such deals after being warned they might be illegal. 2/

On October 8, 2019, Swope met with Mayor John Cooper, pushing his company's "Intelligent Transit" plan. 3/

Part of that plan: "it is our intention to lease mass transit vehicles to the City." 4/

On October 25, 2019, Swope asked Mayor John Cooper for a letter endorsing his company's plan - not quite a Memorandum of Understanding, but an official endorsement nonetheless 5/

BTW, in this email, Swope claimed he has eight Grammys.
He has NONE. 6/

On Dec. 13, 2019, Swope pushed his company's Intelligent Transit plan to mayoral legislative liaison Mike Jameson 7/

On Dec. 16, 2019, Jameson told Swope that his activities would appear to violate Metro ethics laws 8/

On Dec. 20, 2019, CM @mendesbob gave Swope similar advice 9/

Swope responded that, if necessary, he would resign from the Council. Here's the thing: you don't get to use your position to push a deal with the City, then resign. 10/

If what Swope told @DanMandisShow is true, there should be no more emails involving him pushing deals with the City.......... 11/

On Jan. 7th, Swope holds a meeting in Metro Council offices with Verizon about his company's Intelligent Transit plan. Swope told @DanMandisShow and his Council colleagues that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss 5G. Read the email for yourself. 12/

Swope's business partner apparently thought the meeting was about their company's plan, as well. 13/

So was that the end of Swope's efforts involving his company and the City? 14/

No 15/

On April 30, 2020, Swope's business partner emails that they need to get a letter from the mayor about their proposed Nashville development - "to get the operational cash flowing." 16/

What happens with that proposed letter isn't clear 17/

Then, on May 9, 2020, an email shows that Metro Finance Director Kevin Crumbo is approached by Swope about a $500M deal between his company and the City. Swope wanted to incorporate the deal into a substitute budget. 18/

Crumbo suggests that Council attorney Jon Cooper "will provide guidance on the conflicts associated with a Council member proposing a substitute with a related party." 19/

Remember, this is five months after Jameson/Mendes told Swope that it would be illegal for him to use his position to push deals between the City and his company. Mendes makes it clear he wants no part of such talks. Jameson is pulled back in to remind Swope of the law. 20/

Swope told @DanMandisShow that we had "come after" his business partner. We raised legitimate questions -- to which the business partner has never responded. 21/ newschannel5.com/news/newschann…

Swope also told @DanMandisShow that we had "come after" his wife. That is 100% false!!! We have NEVER asked him or anyone else anything about his wife. 22/

And that is all - for now. 23/23

Cc: @JohnCooper4Nash @JimShulman3 @mendesbob @toombsfortwo @SyracuseMetro15 @NancyVanReece @SandraForNash @zulfat4council @GinnyWelsch

NOTHING about the interview is disputed. The evidence (cited above) is undisputed.

https://twitter.com/jallgood1/status/1328885232322359296?s=20

Then there is this —>

https://twitter.com/jeremyelrod26/status/1328903367645671426

Here is the correct email about the Verizon meeting that Swope told @DanMandisShow and Council members was about 5G - and not his company's transit plan.