Woman accused of chasing U.S. Rep. Kustoff appears in court

DRESDEN, Tenn. — The woman accused of chasing Congressman David Kustoff as he and his staff left the campus of the University of Tennessee at Martin appeared Friday in a Weakley County courtroom.

Wendi Wright, 35, wasn’t alone, as family and friends gathered in front of the courtroom before her hearing to show support and also voice concerns about the congressman’s recent vote on the health care bill.

Wright is charged with felony reckless endangerment.

Kustoff, a Republican from Germantown, represents Tennessee’s 8th Congressional District.

“We’re just an average family trying to get by, and it’s hard. It really is,” Wright’s father, Albert Wright, said.

Wendi Wright is accused of chasing the car occupied by Kustoff and his aide on May 8, confronting them when their car stopped, screaming at them and banging on their windows.

Officials also say at one point Wright reached inside the vehicle.

Wright will be under a restraining order until June 13 of 2018. She can’t have any contact with the congressman or his staff. If she follows the restraining order, the case will be dismissed.

“My daughter is a caring and loving person that basically wanted to talk to the congressman, and I guess like a lot of them they don’t have town hall meetings,” Wright’s father said.

Wendi’s father talked about how difficult this has been for the family including Wendi’s daughter, Sunni.

“We prayed for the best,” Wright’s father said. “I think we had a very good outcome today, but they don’t know that it’s such an emotional roller coaster and a physical roller coaster and even a financial burden that goes along with it that people don’t realize.”

Family and friends from across West Tennessee showed up before the hearing to support Wright and voice concerns about the congressman.

“We’re here to support Wendi wright,” Callye Norsworth said. “We’re here to show support and love for her but also to show Congressman Kustoff that she’s not alone. She’s not alone here. She’s not alone in her frustrations with the fact that he has not been available to answer any questions of ours.”

The family says Wright wanted to talk to the congressman about his recent vote on the health care bill. The congressman was leaving UT Martin after speaking with faculty and staff about agriculture.