Money 'disappeared,' and donors to the defunct Liminal group are in the dark | Ashe

Several significant donors I contacted said they had heard nothing from Chloe Akers since she disbanded the Liminal group, a political action committee described as a “movement of moderates.”

Akers moved to Nashville, and these people feel their donations have simply “disappeared.”

More than $400,000 was raised but no one has given a credible explanation of where the money went. But it appears to have been used to pay consultants and salaries, including to Akers herself.

Akers’ new group ─ BestofTN.us ─ is a 501(c)(4), which means it will not disclose names of donors. She says she has raised $660,000 already in Nashville to influence elected officials but she will not disclose any names or amounts.

So much for transparency! How can she be taken seriously when she extols bipartisanship but not even a token Democrat is listed with BestofTN on its website? This group bears close watching, which it does not want.

University of Tennessee at Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman hosted a luncheon last weekend recognizing the late Bob Booker’s distinction as the university’s spring 2024 honorary doctorate degree recipient. Shortly before his death at age 88 on Feb. 22, he received this degree at a special ceremony in his home in East Knoxville.

Booker was recognized for his influential career, most notably for his preservation of Knoxville's Black history, being elected as the first Black state representative in Tennessee's history and for his fearless work in integrating lunch counters and the historic Tennessee Theatre during the Civil Rights Movement.

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs finally pushed through the Advance Knox program. Time will tell how helpful it will be, but certainly it seems a step in the right direction.

It was mystifying to see Jacobs had singled out several amendments he said he would not accept - ones primarily sponsored by at-large County Commissioner Kim Frazier, who has reviewed many proposals and suggested changes. Frazier had every right to offer whatever amendments she wanted.

U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett has employed Kansas City attorneys James Kreamer and Jacqueline Longfellow and to defend him in the defamation lawsuit filed by Denton Loudermill.

In an answer to the suit, a 15-page legal memo supports Burchett’s motion to dismiss.

He also challenges the venue and suggests the District of Columbia might be the most appropriate place as he acknowledges he posted the false information there on the internet.

A scheduling conference is set for June 25 in Kansas City. A magistrate judge is most likely to hear this stage of the litigation.

Paying these attorneys will be costly for Burchett’s campaign fund. The exact cost is not known, but it will be disclosed by law if Burchett uses his campaign fund to pay legal costs. This column will keep you informed.

Nikki Haley, former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador, who dropped out of the GOP presidential primary race more than two months ago, won 21% of the GOP primary vote May 7 in Indiana, a heavily Republican state. This is bad news for former President Donald Trump if these moderate Republicans boycott the November election. Far from trying to win them back, Trump so far has regularly insulted Haley and her supporters.

Honor Fountain City Day returns on Memorial Day, May 27, after a four-year break. The official ceremony starts at 4 p.m. but a ceremony honoring veterans starts at 3:15 p.m. Many city and county officeholders attend, as well as potential officeholders such as Larsen Jay and Mike Hammond, both who want to be county mayor in 2026.

The renovated gym at Arnstein Jewish Community Center will be formally named and dedicated at 11 a.m. June 2 in memory of civic leader and businessman Pace Robinson. It is a well-deserved tribute to a person who led Modern Supply for many years and chaired the KUB board.

Birthdays

May 23: Dennis Duchon, husband of UT Chancellor Donde Plowman, is 77. Meryl Keegan is 44. Matthew Scoggins is 46.

May 24: Art Clancy III is 66. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen is 75. Ann Furrow, first woman to serve on the UT board of trustees, is 79. Elizabeth Orr is 41. Steve South is 65. Attorney Edward Trent is 57. Sam Venable is 77.

May 25: State Rep. Gloria Johnson is 62. Malinda Little is 57. Appellate Judge Michael Swiney is 75.

May 26: King Frederik of Denmark is 56. Debbie Jones is 72. Emily Jones is 72. Bill Lyons is 76. Lauren Morgan is 37. Jeri Parker is 71. Eric Schimmoeller is 48. Councilwoman Seema Singh is 57. Wayne Waggoner is 71.

May 27: Casey Arrowood is 47. Bruce Bosse is 66. Attorney Alex Burkhalter is 36. Claudio Gomez is 56. Omar Jubran is 38. Teddy Phillips is 65. Mark Siegel is 69. Scott Andrew Skoog is 60.

May 28: Symphony conductor Aram Demirjian is 38. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani is 80. Election Commission Chair Hannah Hopper is 38. Paul D. Kedrow is 30. Rick Kuhlman is 74. Jody Loest is 77. Helen Morton is 68. Jeremy Pruitt is 50. Home Federal banker Andy Self is 50. Attorney Bill Vines is 82.

May 29: Bonnie Carpenter is 81. Scott Crammond is 35. Attorney John Eldridge is 76. Jeffrey D. Kovac is 76. Urban League CEO Charles Lomax is 42. Former County Commissioner Pat Medley is 79. Stacy Palado is 45.

Victor Ashe can be reached at vhashe@aol.com.

Victor Ashe is a former Knoxville mayor and former ambassador to Poland. He is a columnist for Shopper News. 

Knox News and Shopper News promptly correct all errors. If you think we have published incorrect information, please email accuracy@knoxnews.com. Describe the error, where you saw it, the date, page number or the URL.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Money 'disappeared,' and donors to the defunct Liminal group know nothing