Phil Williams Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

6 Aug, 2018

NewsChannel 5 files suit after denied access to Jason Locke travel reimbursement records

By Deborah Fisher|2018-08-06T08:46:08-05:00August 6, 2018|Categories: investigative exemption, public records lawsuits Tennessee|Tags: Chancellor Russell Perkins, Deputy Attorney General Janet Kleinfelter, emails, Glenn Funk, Jason Locke, NewsChannel 5, Phil Williams, Ron Harris, TBI, Tennessean v. Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County, travel records|0 Comments

NewsChannel 5 has filed a public records lawsuit after it was denied access to travel reimbursement and phone records related to former acting TBI director Jason Locke's alleged affair with another state official. Jason Locke, former acting director of the TBI. A public records request for his travel reimbursements was denied on the basis that Locke was under criminal investigation. Locke is being investigated for misuse of state funds during an affair with another state official. The Nashville news station's chief investigative reporter Phil Williams also was denied access to email communications between Locke and the official, Sejal West, who was the deputy commission of the Tennessee Department of [...]

Court of Appeals gives NewsChannel 5 Phil Williams a win in ongoing libel case by DA

By Deborah Fisher|2017-12-01T07:17:22-06:00November 30, 2017|Categories: Tennessee Coalition for Open Government|Tags: courts, Glenn Funk, Judge Andy Bennett, Judge Richard Dinkins, Judge Willam Acree, Phil Williams, W. Neal McBrayer|0 Comments

The Court of Appeals affirmed today that fair and accurate news reports of judicial proceedings are protected from defamation claims, giving a win to NewsChannel 5 and its chief investigative reporter Phil Williams in an ongoing libel suit by Davidson County's district attorney. The win was also one for the public, who rely on news media to report on what is happening in our courtrooms. NewsChannel 5 chief investigative reporter Phil Williams Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk sued NewsChannel 5, owned by Scripps Media, Inc., after reports by Williams were aired in February 2016 that were based on allegations in lawsuits by real estate developer David Chase. [...]

Haslam staff used private email accounts for state business

By Deborah Fisher|2016-05-27T08:20:35-05:00May 26, 2016|Categories: email|Tags: Bill Haslam, Janet McGaha, Mark Cate, Phil Williams, private email, Will Cromer|0 Comments

While the U.S. State Department's inspector general on Wednesday released a blistering analysis of Hillary Clinton's use of private email, back in Tennessee reporter Phil Williams of NewsChannel 5 reported a nugget about the use of private email by Governor Bill Haslam and his staff. NewsChannel 5 reporter uncovers Haslam staff using private email for government business. Williams made a public records request of emails on the state email server of a handful of administrators that either were received from or sent to a private email address containing @billhaslam.com, a domain for the governor's campaign webpage. Although it was only a snapshot for a defined slice of time, [...]