GQ Drew: Freedom Fighter
This week’s Scene looks at the Tennessee Center for Policy Research and its leader, Drew Johnson, who fancies himself as a muckraking freedom fighter. All he lacks are the tights and cape. Aides to the governor say that, in Johnson’s zeal, he’s crossing the line between legitimate scrutiny and harassment of state workers.
A couple of examples, helpfully supplied by the Bredesen administration, didn’t make it into our story. In both, female employees of the Revenue Department sent emails to supervisors describing possibly inappropriate conduct by Johnson.
One state worker reports, “I bumped into Drew Johnson today at City Place during lunch. I was in line waiting to order and I felt someone grab my (state employee) badge off my hip. I turned around to see Drew pulling at my badge and reading my name out loud. After him talking about how he doesn’t get along with my department, he introduced himself. It was a bit scary and then he called my office less than 30 minutes later. Just thought I would let you know.”
Another worker writes, “This is probably nothing, but I thought I should give you a head’s up. Drew Johnson is our intern’s next door neighbor, and he apparently accosted her last night about the ‘investigative report’ that aired on Channel 5 (about Revenue Department retreats). She said he was periodically looking in her windows and hanging around his yard until she went out to get her dogs. When he saw her, he immediately came over and started what sounded like baiting her for an angry response to the report—like asking if she wanted to strangle him.”
We asked Johnson to respond to these complaints.
“That's great. Completely laughable and 100% false. Another page from the Pinkston playbook,” Johnson replied via email, referring to Bredesen senior adviser Will Pinkston who has become Johnson’s sworn enemy.
Here’s Pinkston on Johnson: "He's a partisan nitwit who basically spends all his time dreaming up ways to terrorize rank-and-file state employees. Sad way to feed an outsized ego."
These two guys aren't getting along.
Comments
Drew Johnson is lying! I am not even affiliated with the state department and I SAW him grab the badge off that woman's hip at City Place...I had no idea who the guy was but thought it was a very inappropriate thing to do! When I inquired about why some random guy was accosting a woman standing in line, my friend that was with me that does work with the State Department said "That's Drew Johnson of course..who else who be crude enough to do that!" From an outsider's perspective, it was a very tacky thing to do and shows him and his company under a very negative light!
Posted 09/10/2008 at 03:20:13 PMI dated Drew Johnson for 3 years before we broke up, and you would think I would be the person to dislike him most. Drew can be brash or abrupt at times, but the light in which you portray him is false and misleading. Drew Johnson is a good guy, devotes himself to a cause he really believes in, and is chivalrous in the old school, Southern gentleman-type of way. It used to irritate me that he always opened my door for me, even if we were in the midst of a disagreement, and always insisted on walking on the street-side when we walked down the street. Now I'm glad I can tell you about it. Drew would absolutely NEVER make a woman feel uncomfortable in the way you imply. He and his younger sister WERE raised by a single mother who worked at Wal-Mart (and why you would make fun of this in your article is beyond me). Drew is, if anything, protective of women in an endearing way. His younger sister is a single mom to a little girl who absolutely dotes on him (who he helps support out of the income you reported). I do not know what prompted these emails about him, but I can tell you that they are either misleading in description or completely false. I'm wondering why you didn't include this information in your actual article, if you believe it. And why you didn't identify anyone involved, talk to them directly, or go into more detail about it. Sounding abrupt or brash, which is likely what happened, is very different from acting inappropriately. Shame on you for writing something that gives a false impression of a person's character. And adding the word "possibly" before making serious allegations about a good guy does not make this responsible journalism.
Posted 09/14/2008 at 07:10:15 PM