Felons among those named to Hillary Clinton's TN steering committee

By JENNIFER BROOKS Staff Writer - THE TENNSSEAN

The long list of political insiders named to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton?s Tennessee Steering Committee includes at least two convicted felons.

Gladys Crain, octogenarian West Tennessee political power broker, is one of more than 100 people named to head Clinton?s political organization in Tennessee, which will hold its presidential primary on Feb. 5. Crain was convicted in 1981 on federal charges connected with a scheme to rig bids on a state highway construction project. A decade later, she was embroiled in the Tennessee Waltz influence peddling scandal.

Also on the Clinton steering committee is twice-jailed former state House Majority Leader Tommy Burnett of Fentress County.

First imprisoned in 1984 for failure to file an income tax return, Burnett easily won re-election to an eighth term from his jail cell. A few years later, he was caught up in Operation Rocky Top, the federal corruption probe, and went back to jail for another year on federal conspiracy and illegal gambling charges. He went on to a successful career as a lobbyist.

The Clinton campaign has not yet returned a call for comment.

Clinton's Tennessee Steering Committee includes:

* Co-Chair: Former Governor Ned McWherter, Weakley County * Co-Chair: Former Chair of the Public Service Commission Jane Eskind; Davidson County * Co-Chair: Thelma Harper, State Senator, 19th District; Davidson County * Kim Glassman Adkins, Attorney; Davidson County * Jerry Anderton, Legislative Director; UTU, Davidson County * Minnie Bommer, Rural West TN African-American Affairs Council; Tipton County * Helen Boring, Democratic Activist, Washington County * Vickye Boykin, Democratic Activist; Cocke County * Jedidiah Brewer, Small Business Owner; Dyer County * Winona Brewer, Dyer County Democratic Party Chair * Mary Browning, Democratic Activist; Giles County * Steve Bringle, Tipton County Commissioner * James "Moe" Brotherton, Sullivan County Commissioner * Matt Brotherton, Democratic Activist; Sullivan County * Darrell Brown, Songwriter and Producer; Davidson County * Tommy Burnett, former State Representative; Fentress County * Randy Button, Former Chairman, Tennessee Democratic Party; Roane County * Randy Camp, former Commissioner of Personnel; Crockett County * Gail Jones Carson, Secretary, Tennessee Democratic Party; Shelby County * Samanthia Cassidy, Gospel Singer and Missionary ; Sevier County * Desmond Child, Songwriter; Davidson County * Sidney Chism, Shelby County Commissioner; Shelby County * Mary Clement, State Director of Consumer Affairs; Davidson County * Amy Click, Democratic Activist; Cocke County * Robert and Paula Collier, Small Business Owners; Warren County * Linda Costello, Community Leader; Davidson County * Gladys Crain, Lauderdale County Democratic Party Chair * Hunter Davis, Songwriter; Davidson County * Paul Davis, Former Chairman, Democratic Party County Chair Organization; Warren County * Terrie Dobbins, Democratic Activist; Davidson County * Richard Eskind, Community Leader; Davidson County * Nancy Fischman, Community Leader; Washington County * Sonja Fox, Democratic Activist; Washington County * Judy Goldman, Democratic Activist; Washington County * Jim Hall, Former Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, and Annie Hall, Democratic Activist; Hamilton County * Dalton Harrison, Montgomery County Commissioner * Johnny Hayes, Former Director of the Tennessee Valley Authority; Sumner County * Michelle Haynes, Chair, Tennessee Conservation Voters, Sumner County * Niketa Hailey-Hill, Democratic Activist; Davidson County * Jessica Hooper, Assistant Public Defender; Davidson County * Steve Hornsby, Former Hardeman County General Sessions Judge * Bill Howerton, Grangier County Commissioner * Stuart James, Former Chairman, Hamilton County Democratic Party * Terry Jaremko, International Rep, RWDSU Union; Blount County * Clark Jones, Former Tennessee Democratic Party Treasurer; Hardin County * Robin Mitchell Joyce, Attorney; Davidson County * Jeremy Kane, Founder and school Director of LEAD Academy; Davidson County * Laraine King, Democratic Activist; Greene County * Tommy Kilby, State Senator, 12th District; Morgan County * Gary C. Ledbetter, Sr., Former Executive Director, Tennessee Democratic Party; Maury County * John Little, Democratic Activist; Davidson County * Dick Lodge, Former Chairman, Tennessee Democratic Party; Davidson County * Carol Lee Logan, Democratic Activist; Unicoi County * Rev. Harold M. Love, Jr., Pastor, Saint Paul AME Church; Davidson County * J.W. Luna, Former Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation; Davidson County * Beverly Marrero, State Senator, 30th District; Shelby County * Harlan Mathews, Former U.S. Senator; Davidson County * George Mays, Legislative Representative, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; Davidson County * Hansel McCadams, District Attorney, 24th District and Teresa McCadams, Community Leader; Henry County * Hallie McFadden, Attorney; Hamilton County * Linda McFadyen Ketchum; Democratic Activist; Davidson County * Mike McWherter, Community Leader; Madison County * Doris Medlin, State Executive Committee Member; Davidson County * Debbie Miller, former First Lady of Metro Davidson County * Wilma Morgan, Democratic Activist; Cocke County * Lee Mouser, Small Business Owner; Davidson County * Larry Mullins, Small Business Owner; Hamblen County * Angela Fultz Nordstrom, Democratic Activist; Davidson County * Hazel O?Leary, former U.S. Secretary of Energy, President of Fisk University; Davidson County * Bill Owen, DNC Member; Knox County * Mike Padgett, former Knox County Clerk * Mark Padgett, Small Business Owner; Knox County * Brenda Sims Palmer, Democratic Activist; Knox County * Charles and Margaret Palmer, Democratic Activist; Cocke County * Wanda Payne, Democratic Activist; Johnson County * Dr. Nat Revis, Community Leader; Anderson County * Annie Roboff, Songwriter; Davidson County * Terry Quillen, veteran Nashville Journalist; Davidson County * Alma Sanford, Democratic Activist; Davidson County * Marvin Sandrell, Democratic Activist; Maury County * Bruce Shine, Attorney; Kingsport * Maria Silas, Attorney; Davidson County * Tammy Simmons, Legislative Representative, National Association of Letter Carriers; Davidson County * Bill Smith, Former Chairman, Unicoi County Democratic Party * Ann Strong, Former Register of Deeds, Crockett County * Christopher Smith, Community Leader; Davidson County * David Taylor, Small Business Owner; Davidson County * Byron Trauger, Attorney; Davidson County * Tracy Wandell, Anderson County Commissioner * Albert Waterhouse, Community Leader; Hamilton County * Leo Waters, Former Metro-Davidson Councilman * Jacqueline Webber, Democratic Activist; Cocke County * Teena Webster, Democratic Activist; Robertson County * Mike Wellons, Bolivar City Councilman ; Hardeman County * Johnnie Wells, Democratic Activist; Sullivan County * Marilyn Williams, Democratic Activist; Cocke County * Anna Windrow, Former Senior Advisor to the Governor; Davidson County * Harold and Sylvia Woods, Labor and Community Activists; Knox County * Ralph Yelton, Former State Representative; Sullivan County