Hamilton County commissioner calls for district attorney to fire family members, step down
Mar. 3—On the same day District Attorney General Neal Pinkston officially announced he would run for re-election, Hamilton County Commissioner Tim Boyd publicly called on him to fire his wife and brother-in-law and then step down.
Boyd, R-East Brainerd, made his comments during Wednesday's commission meeting. It came a week after the state released a report stating Pinkston violated state nepotism laws.
"I hope DA Pinkston terminates his wife and brother-in-law immediately, not place them on paid leave as I understand he has, and I duly and respectfully ask for his immediate resignation because I think he's failed the office," Boyd said. "He's failed the community."
Boyd had already called for the firings and Pinkston's resignation last week during an interview with the Times Free Press about a report released by the Tennessee Comptroller's Office.
The report signed by Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower states investigators in his office determined the employment of Chief of Staff Melydia Clewell, Pinkston's wife, and her brother, investigator Kerry Clewell, was in violation of the Tennessee State Employees Uniform Nepotism Policy Act.
The act states "no state employees who are relatives shall be placed within the same direct line of supervision whereby one relative is responsible for supervising the job performance or work activities of another relative."
"The 11th Judicial District Attorney General should resolve the violation of the Nepotism Act within his office by means of transfer of the chief of staff and the DAG investigator to another governmental entity or termination of their employment," the report stated.
Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery then wrote a letter to Pinkston in response to the report agreeing with its findings.
Pinkston's office did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
During the commissioner's meeting, Boyd emphasized the importance of the position of district attorney and said Pinkston is unfit for office.
"The arrogance shown by DA Pinkston in this manner is not worthy of the office," Boyd said Wednesday. "The citizens of this county deserve a better leader in one of the most powerful positions the county has."
After the comptroller's report was released last week, Pinkston announced he had placed his two relatives on leave in light of the comptroller's findings. His office declined to say whether the leave was paid or unpaid. County Mayor Jim Coppinger told the Times Free Press on Friday that no paperwork had been put through his finance office to place the siblings on unpaid leave.
Pinkston's family relations first came to light in May 2021 when Boyd asked at a budget hearing whether Pinkston employed any relatives with county funds. Pinkston answered no. The Times Free Press then reported that Pinkston had married Melydia Clewell and hired her brother.
Pinkston denied wrongdoing and subsequently transferred the relatives to the county portion of his payroll instead of the state portion in an effort to prevent violating the nepotism law. Both the state comptroller and attorney general said last week that remedy was insufficient.
Pinkston last year said the employment of his relatives was legally and ethically sound. He blamed the controversy on Boyd, saying the commissioner was retaliating because Pinkston prosecuted Boyd in 2018 on extortion charges. Prosecutors claimed Boyd tried to threaten a political rival with release of damaging information if the person did not withdraw, charges that were dismissed.
Contact Logan Hullinger at lhullinger@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6416. Follow him on Twitter @LoganHullinger.
