UPDATE: Hancen Sale found the listed committees • Maybe Hancen should become a reporter at #theBigMetalShedontheHill he would be an improvement, over the biased, lack of information gatherers there now. See the Appointment of Treasurer forms at the bottom, full transparency disclosure.

Last Wednesday, July 2, here I broke the news: an official opposition committee to the proposed City of Knoxville sales tax hike has been formed, led by Robert Bentley Marlow. That’s five full days before Knoxville’s daily paper finally decided to inform its paying subscribers—today, July 7.

But here’s where it gets murky.

The daily paper claims that Brandon Bruce—yes, the same Brandon Bruce who unsuccessfully ran for Second District City Council—is the Treasurer for the support committee backing the City’s tax increase. Sounds official, right?

Not so fast.

Today, I asked the Knox County Election Commission for documentation of Bruce’s committee. They had nothing. Zip. They even directed me to the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance. So I emailed the Registry. The General Counsel replied back: “Check with the Knox County Election Commission.”

A full circle of government finger-pointing—and still, no record of Brandon Bruce’s support committee filing.

So the big question is: What exactly did the daily paper report? Where did they verify this filing? Or did they just take someone’s word for it?

Either the daily paper got it wrong, or someone’s playing fast and loose with the facts. Meanwhile, the public deserves transparency—not hearsay dressed up as journalism.

Stay tuned. I’ll keep digging.