Knox County body armor purchase triggers ethics complaint
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A businessman has accused Knox County officials of being opaque in their $160,000 purchase of 400 body armor vests for sheriff’s deputies.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel (http://bit.ly/2eYlZI1 ) reports that Rusty Burton, a law-enforcement supply dealer who is not a vendor to the county, filed a complaint Nov. 8, alleging numerous violations of the county procurement code and purchasing policies.
Burton specifically pointed to the fact that the purchase was made without open bidding. The complaint was filed against former county Procurement Director Hugh Holt and county Finance Director Chris Caldwell.
Burton says county personnel should have known the same vests that were ultimately purchased were available from more than 25 other suppliers in the Southeast.
Sheriff Jimmy Jones called the complaint “frivolous” and “unfounded” and said Burton is a “disgruntled non-vendor.”
