A FORETHOUGHT FROM THE MEGA BULLHORN OF TRUTH | A BRIAN HORNBACK PRODUCTION
Elder Abuse Is Unacceptable. And If You Think Leaving the City-County Building Means I’m Going Silent, Think Again!
Let me make something perfectly clear.
For the past four years, I had the privilege of working directly with senior citizens in four classifications: the elderly, individuals with disabilities, disabled veterans, and surviving spouses of disabled veterans. These were not just names on a form or numbers in a government database. These were people who deserved dignity, respect, compassion, and, above all, to be treated fairly by the very government entrusted to serve them.
I no longer work inside the City-County Building. My former boss and I are no longer there doing that work. But don’t mistake my departure for a departure from the fight.
My commitment to protecting these citizens did not come with an expiration date on my employment.
If anything, I now have an even greater responsibility to speak up when something isn’t right.
Government employees have a responsibility to follow the law, uphold the rules, and treat the people they serve with dignity. That responsibility is especially important when dealing with elderly citizens, people with disabilities, disabled veterans, and the surviving spouses of disabled veterans. These individuals should never have to wonder whether the government office they turn to for assistance will become another obstacle they must fight.
And let’s be clear: when someone who depends on government assistance is ignored, mistreated, deliberately misled, denied fair treatment, or subjected to conduct that may constitute abuse, it deserves scrutiny. When the conduct crosses the line into unlawful behavior, it deserves to be investigated.
A government paycheck does not put anyone above accountability. A government office does not provide immunity from scrutiny. And a vulnerable citizen’s inability to fight back does not give anyone permission to take advantage of them.
I will continue to speak out when I encounter credible information about the mistreatment of these citizens by individuals working inside the City-County Building. I will identify the issues, present the facts, and call attention to conduct that warrants public scrutiny. Where appropriate, I will refer the matter to the proper authorities and let the Knox County Law Department and other responsible agencies HERE, HERE and especially HERE determine the legal questions within their jurisdiction. The latter has jurisdiction across the State of Tennessee.
I will call out what the facts support. I will distinguish between what is alleged, what is documented, and what has been established. But I will not look the other way simply because the person responsible holds a government position.
For more than four decades, I have been involved in Republican politics and public service. I have learned that public service is not about protecting the institution, protecting someone’s position, or keeping uncomfortable truths out of public view. It is about serving people and holding those entrusted with public responsibility accountable.
The Mega Bullhorn of Truth is not going to be quiet when our most vulnerable citizens deserve a voice.
I may no longer be working in the City-County Building, but I remain an advocate for senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, disabled veterans, and the surviving spouses of disabled veterans.
That commitment stands. That responsibility remains. And when the facts warrant it, the bullhorn will sound.
This is The Mega Bullhorn of Truth | A Brian Hornback Production. We believe in accountability, transparency, and telling the truth—even when the truth makes people uncomfortable.
If you witness or experience mistreatment, (email us at bring forward the facts, preserve the documentation, and report suspected unlawful conduct to the appropriate authorities. The vulnerable deserve protection, and the public deserves accountability.
ORIGINAL POST:
U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) released the following statements after President Trump signed into law their bipartisan legislation, the Romance Scam Prevention Act, to require dating apps and services to issue fraud ban notifications to users who have interacted with a person removed from the app.
“Scammers prey on Americans looking for companionship, exploiting their trust and, in too many cases, stealing their life savings,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Romance Scam Prevention Act will put critical safeguards in place to protect all dating app users – but especially senior citizens – from fraudulent schemes. I am pleased to see President Trump sign this important legislation into law and take action to protect Americans from romance scams.”
“People turn to dating apps looking for love and connection, not to get scammed,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “Our bill puts real safeguards in place that will protect all dating app users, especially senior citizens, from harmful, fraudulent schemes. We’re glad to see our safeguards become law.”
In recent years, digital romance scams have become more common as scammers target recently widowed or divorced senior citizens. In 2023, Tennesseans over the age of 60 lost $43 million due to scams targeting the elderly, marking an 18% increase from the losses reported in 2022. Across the country, the Federal Trade Commission reported that romance scams resulted in victims losing $1.3 billion in 2022 alone.
Representative David Valadao (R-Calif.) led this legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
BACKGROUND
As Americans continue to go online to find meaningful relationships, scammers are following suit. These scams accelerated during the COVID pandemic when more senior citizens turned to dating sites for companionship while they were isolated from their loved ones.
When an online dating service provider becomes aware of a user committing fraudulent activity, such as illegally obtaining money, most online dating service providers immediately deactivate the fraudulent user’s account.
However, individuals who meet online often take their conversations to other communication platforms, so even when a fraudulent account is removed, an individual might not know they are still communicating with someone who has been removed from the dating platform.
The Romance Scam Prevention Act will fill this communication gap by requiring dating app platforms to send a fraud ban notification to anyone who has communicated with someone with a fraudulent account.
Click here for bill text.
Click here to read more about the red flag indicators of romance scams and how to avoid becoming a victim of a romance scam.
