Incriminating Records Not Linked to THP Probe-Scott Couch

Incriminating records dropped off at the offices of Tennessee Republican candidates and GOP party leaders was not connected to the THP probe.

On Wednesday, a Democratic Party Activist says he did it.

But the Tennessee GOP believes the activist is a puppet and they want to know who pulled the strings.

One of those packets containing drunk driving records of a GOP candidate was dropped off at the offices of House Republican leader Jason Mumpower.

Another packet went to GOP caucus chair Glen Casada.

The Williamson County lawmaker calls it politics at its worst, which he likens to Watergate.

Rep. Casada says, "Though I know it may sound a dramatic comparison, you cannot intimidate people who are running for office, do background checks on them -- it's illegal. Nor can you break into my office which has sensitive documents."

Keith Talley says he's the man behind those poison packets.

Talley admits to digging up the potential political dirt while doing opposition research on GOP State House candidate A.J. McCall for the state democratic caucus.

But Talley and the caucus deny any laws were broken.

Addison Pate with the TN Democratic Party Caucus says, "I've been assured that he didn't do it at dark, evil times at night -- that he did it during business hours when doors were open and doors were unlocked."

Even if that's true, Rep. Casada doubts Talley's assertion that he was acting alone.

Casada believes Democratic Party leaders were involved and
he wants to know who knew what Talley was doing and when they knew it.

Rep. Casada says, "Who gave the authorization? What they intended to accomplish -- who else do they have this information on?"

The records in question were on more than decade old DUI arrests involving Wilson County State House candidate A.J. McCall.

They were public access records which have now been expunged but the State Democratic Caucus says the records were not expunged when Talley collected them.

McCall is out of town and was unavailable for comment on Keith Talley's admission.


MR. MCALL IS OUT OF TOWN TONIGHT AND WAS UNAVAILABLE FOR COMMENT ON KEITH TALLEY'S ADMISSION.##
Incriminating Records Not Linked to THP Probe-Scott Couch