Tonight, Jim McClain former South Knox School Board Member and current Knox County One Question member was one of three panelists that represented their organization at the first public forum.

McClain said “Government works best when it is represented by fewer people.”

Near the conclusion of the evening, Commissioner Paul Pinkston and McClain had some words. McClain said that he is Pinkston’s Sunday School teacher, but that Pinkston is wrong. If it were true then Jim McClain is not doing a very good job as a Sunday School teacher.

Pinkston challenged McClain saying that McClain had once said that he didn’t need to have any campaign fundraising events. Because Jim Haslam would just give him $10,000. McClain said “that is true because I coached Jim Haslam III.” What McClain doesn’t understand is that he implicated Haslam in a campaign finance law violation as Haslam would be prohibited from giving more than $1,000.

McClain assured the crowd he was telling the truth. The crowd responded negatively. McClain stated, “you don’t have to believe that I am an honest person.”

Gene Patterson immediately ended the event with McClain red faced, angry and heading to his car quickly.