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Resident uses public comment to allege forgery and asks commissioners to recuse two members
Summary
During public comment a resident said they had filed a 38-page lawsuit alleging forgery and other crimes involving named officials and asked the commission to recuse two commissioners; the chair interrupted the remarks and no formal recusal vote or investigation motion appears in the meeting record.
A public commenter told the Roane County Commission during the public-comment period that they had filed a 38-page lawsuit with five exhibits alleging forgery, kidnapping-related property transfers and other crimes involving named local officials and requested that the commission "recuse Holly and Kirby."
The commenter said the complaint names a county attorney (identified in the speaker's remarks as Gerald Weeds) and Tom McFarland and asserted the chief justice's signature had been forged. The speaker asked the 14 commissioners not named in the complaint to review the filing and "take a vote" on recusal or to call for an investigation. The full remarks were delivered in a heated tone and the chair cut the speaker off before the public comment period ended.
Chairman Shannon Hester interrupted the commenter and curtailed further remarks on the floor; no commissioner made a formal motion or vote during the meeting to refer the citizen's filing to legal counsel, to an ethics committee, or to another investigative body, and no formal recusal of named commissioners appears in the meeting record.
What was said on the record: - The commenter: "This is a motion to recuse Holly and Kirby ... this county attorney, Gerald Weeds, Tom McFarland ... forged the chief justice." (public comment delivered during the meeting record.) - The chair responded by directing the speaker to stop and the meeting moved on; the transcript shows no subsequent formal action on the allegation.
Next steps and context: The allegation was made as public comment; the transcript does not show staff or commissioners referring the filing to an investigative process during this session. If commissioners or staff choose to act on the filing, standard next steps would include referral to the county attorney (if not named in the complaint), an ethics body, or law enforcement, and a formal record of any recusal or investigation would appear in subsequent minutes.
