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NASHVILLE — Officials began moving the office of state Rep. Jim Cobb, R-Spring City, to another location Monday as the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation continues its formal probe of circumstances surrounding a digital recorder discovered hidden under the desk of an aide for Rep. Cobb.
Connie Ridley, the General Assembly’s director of Legislative Administration, said the decision to move Rep. Cobb came upon the advice of Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper.
Rep. Cobb has said he attached the recorder under the desk of administrative aide Paul Overholser as a prank. He said the move went awry when Mr. Overholser complained to House officials and the TBI was called in before Mr. Cobb had a chance to explain he was playing a practical joke.
Ms. Ridley said that “as it relates to the investigation, obviously that’s an ongoing matter that we’re not involved in at all, so we really don’t have anything to say about that.”
But with Mr. Overholser continuing to work under Rep. Cobb, Ms. Ridley said that “from an administrative standpoint, we sought some legal counsel from the attorney general’s office and were following that, and obviously that advice was to move him (Cobb) to another location.”
Rep. Cobb’s computer and phone on Monday were moved to an office suite on another floor of the War Memorial Building where legislative Republicans have their offices, Ms. Ridley said.
Efforts to reach Rep. Cobb were unsuccessful Monday evening.
Mr. Overholser, who has declined to comment on the matter, has been working until now for Rep. Cobb and Rep. Beth Harwell, R-Nashville. Rep. Harwell has said that, although she hasn’t spoken with Rep. Cobb, she believes the investigation should be dropped.
But House Minority Leader Jason Mumpower, R-Bristol, has said that while he accepts Rep. Cobb’s explanation of events, the TBI probe should continue uninterrupted.
Ms. Ridley referred additional questions to Mr. Cooper. Spokeswoman Sharon Curtis-Flair said the attorney general’s office had no comment.
TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm said the investigation into the recording device became official last Thursday when Davidson County District Attorney General Torry Johnson sent a letter requesting the probe.
“When the investigation is over, we’ll turn it over to the DA to determine whether there will be any criminal charges,” Ms. Helm said.
She said the TBI probe could take several weeks.
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Comments
oh..my..god...!!!
What in the world is so bad about this incident that the TBI has to pull out all stops and spend thousands and thousands of tax payer dollars and weeks of TBI man hours, on a frivilous investigation??? If Mr Overholser didn't do or say anything he shouldn't have, then why in the heck would he care? It's Rep. Cobb's office for land's sake, doesn't he have the right to know what is being said by his administrative aide? (Considering for even one moment, that the tape recorder was even an intentional thing?)
I DO believe it was a practical joke, and I DON'T believe the TBI should make a huge hoopla out of something like this...sounds to me like they just want a lot of publicity, gotta make things look good for the public and prove they are "doing thier job" maybe? NEWSFLASH big TBI boys...you look like utter fools! Go spend all those tax dollars on something that needs to be investigated. How about chasing down all those drug dealers that are running all over the state? Can't you find anything better to do?
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