SPRINGFIELD, Tenn. (WTVF) — A letter from two GOP lawmakers, which appeared to threaten the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for its probe of the Millersville Police Department, reflected a poor choice of words, the House speaker said Thursday.
While Speaker Cameron Sexton dodged questions about whether there should be any consequences for his two colleagues, the Crossville Republican was emphatic that there would be no "political fallout" for the TBI, as the letter suggested.
"That's totally the wrong way to go," Sexton told NewsChannel 5 Investigates during a stop of a Republican get-out-the-vote tour of the state. "I think there's a better way if you're voicing your dissatisfaction with something without going down that road."
On Tuesday, NewsChannel 5 revealed the existence of the letter, which had been sent earlier this month by Rep. Bud Hulsey, a Kingsport Republican who chairs the House Criminal Justice Committee. That committee controls legislation affecting the TBI.
It was also signed by another committee member, Rep. Monty Fritts, R-Kingston.
In the four-page letter, Hulsey and Fritts urged TBI Director David Rausch to end the Millersville investigation and return all evidence seized during a Sept. 4 raid of the police department and the home of Assistant Police Chief Shawn Taylor.
“Doing so would not only be the right course of action, but it would also help preserve the integrity of the TBI and avoid unnecessary political fallout," the letter concluded.
Sexton said, "You can express yourself differently for disagreement than using the phrase 'political fallout' if you don't stop your investigation." NewsChannel 5 questioned whether it was proper for them to voice any opinion on a pending criminal investigation.
"Well, I mean, I think sometimes you can, people all the time say, 'Hey, can I talk to you about this, what's going on here?'" Sexton answered.
Hulsey has said in a statement that it was not his intent to interfere in the Millersville investigation, which is what the speaker said his committee chairman told him.
"I think he probably was thinking he had moved in a different direction than how I think people are interpreting the letter," Sexton said, noting that Hulsey is a retired law enforcement officer.
Across the aisle, there were other opinions.
Rep. Gloria Johnson, the Knoxville Democrat who's currently running for U.S. Senate, wrote on X: "No one is misinterpreting the letter, it is clear, and those two reps appear to have violated our ethics code." She added, "This is how bullies operate."
Sen. Jeff Yarbro of Nashville agreed.
"Political interference or retribution for an investigation ... is a line that absolutely shouldn’t be crossed," the Nashville Democrat posted on X.
And House Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons of Nashville questioned whether Sexton should remove Hulsey from his position of chairman of the committee.
"Does this guy deserve to continue serving as chairman of the Criminal Justice Committee — someone who abused their power in this way?" Clemmons asked.
Sexton suggested Clemmons was being hypocritical.
"Well, we felt the same way when we put the Tennessee Three up for a vote and he didn't think that rose to the level to remove them from the General Assembly or even take them off committees," the speaker said.
As for Shawn Taylor's bizarre claims that some TBI higher-ups are in cahoots with demonic forces, Sexton agreed, "Yeah, that sounds crazy."
And the House Speaker said he fully supports TBI Director David Rausch and his agency pursuing their investigations wherever the facts may lead.
"They are professionals. We need to let them do their jobs, and then we'll find out what happens at the end when they conclude it."
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Do you have information that would help me with my investigation? Send me your tips: phil.williams@newschannel5.com
Here is how this investigation has unfolded:
May 20, 2024: Meet Millersville's conspiracy cop. He imagines sinister plots involving some of the country's most prominent political figures. Taylor recently landed in Millersville as assistant police chief, promising to root out the corruption he sees there. You can continue reading at this hyperlink.
May 22, 2024: The controversy over Millersville's conspiracy cop has now become the latest scandal rocking the tiny town just north of Nashville. Now, two city commissioners want a special meeting to figure out how Shawn Taylor landed his job. You can continue reading Part Two at this link.
May 24, 2024: An attorney for Millersville conspiracy cop Shawn Taylor has told Millersville's city commission, whom he also represents, that they should not question the assistant police chief's bizarre theories or psychological fitness. You can read more of this installment at this link.
May 28, 2024: New podcast video, uncovered by NewsChannel 5 Investigates, reveals how Shawn Taylor spread false and dangerous conspiracy theories about last year's Covenant School shooting that left three students and three staff members dead. You can click here to review that story.
May 28, 2024: Anna Caudill agreed to watch the video of Shawn Taylor knowing there might be only so much she could handle. Among the three children and three adults killed that day was her friend, Katherine Koonce. You can read more of Anna's story by tapping on this link.
June 3, 2024: First, he went after Millersville’s former mayor. Now, the town’s assistant police chief says his two critics on the city commission could be next. Shawn Taylor made those comments as he turned to a group of far-right podcasters to defend himself. Tap this link to read from those Taylor's accused.
June 4, 2024: Millersville officials are standing with their assistant police chief and his bizarre conspiracy theories regarding Nashville's Covenant School shooting. Read how this meeting played out at this link.
June 5, 2024: Bryant Kroll wears a lot of hats. He's the attorney representing the embattled City of Millersville. He also represents Mayor Tommy Long, who faces accusations of misconduct in an ouster suit. Plus, he's the attorney for Bryan Morris and Shawn Taylor. To understand the role he plays, you can read that here.
June 6, 2024: In Shawn Taylor's world, "I'm the problem, it's me." I explain how we got here in this piece, which you can click on here.
June 18, 2024: Millersville's conspiracy cop has his very own conspiracy-minded attorney. Now, our NewsChannel 5 investigation has discovered that Todd Callender's own theories are sometimes even more far-fetched than Taylor’s twisted view of the world. Click here to read more about Shawn Taylor’s attorney.
July 15, 2024: What happens when you give people with bizarre conspiracy theories a gun and a badge? Secret recordings from inside the troubled Millersville Police Department provide a sobering answer to that question. Read more on this investigation by tapping here.
July 22, 2024: In an explosive new development that could bring new trouble for the already-troubled Millersville Police Department, a key player in a child-predator sting says the lead detective on that operation lied under oath. You can read more about that by clicking here.
July 23, 2024: District Attorney General Robert Nash has asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to look into the Millersville Police Department's handling of a child predator sting, including possible perjury by the lead detective. You can read more about that by tapping here.
July 29, 2024: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has expanded its probe of the embattled Millersville Police Department, now looking into allegations that officials may have used sensitive law enforcement data to investigate their political enemies. Read more about that by clicking here.
August 5, 2024: With the Millersville Police Department now the focus of a TBI investigation, NewsChannel 5 Investigates has uncovered new questions about the stories that conspiracy cop Shawn Taylor tells about himself. You can catch up on the investigation by tapping here.
August 12, 2024: In a perplexing pair of podcast interviews, the Millersville chief of police says the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has begun limiting his department's access to certain sensitive law enforcement data. Read more about this latest development here.
August 26, 2024: He has helped to fuel some of the wild conspiracy theories inside the troubled Millersville Police Department. He is a self-proclaimed pedophile hunter who believes America is controlled by what he calls "a satanic cult masquerading as Jews." Read more about Craig Sawyer by clicking here.
August 27, 2024: Craig Sawyer’s response to my investigation illustrates how conspiracy theorists frequently use wild accusations and blustery language to avoid giving real answers about their bizarre beliefs. Tap here to watch as we dissect his 90-minute diatribe.
September 4, 2024: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents raided the Millersville Police Department and Shawn Taylor’s home, executing a pair of search warrants as the criminal investigation into the troubled agency enters a dramatic new phase. Read more about this new twist in the Millersville investigation.
September 10, 2024: “No, a TBI agent didn't pee in Shawn Taylor's tub, agency says in response to Taylor's latest claim.” The headline says it all. Click here.
September 19, 2024: QAnon-aligned voices of the far right are threatening retaliation against a judge, a district attorney and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents for their roles in the recent Millersville raids. Details posted here.
October 7, 2024: A well-known Arizona election denier says his group — working through Millersville's conspiracy-minded assistant police chief — gained access to a highly confidential federal database that tracks Americans’ banking transactions and other financial data. Read the exclusive story here.
October 22, 2024: Two key GOP lawmakers – the chairman and a member of the state House committee that oversees the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation – recently warned the agency that it could face “unnecessary political fallout” if it does not end its criminal probe into the troubled Millersville Police Department. You can read the letter here.
October 24, 2024: A letter from two GOP lawmakers, which appeared to threaten the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for its probe of the Millersville Police Department, was the "wrong way to go," House Speaker Cameron Sexton said. But there is more to the speaker's reaction.
December 9, 2024: Shawn Taylor, the conspiracy-minded cop now at the center of a criminal investigation, has resigned from his position as assistant chief for the Millersville Police Department after less than a year on the job. Read more here.
December 18, 2024: After months of controversy in Millersville, the first meeting of the new city commission brought a hint of drama — along with the hope of a fresh start. Click here for more.