Congressional candidate’s ex-wife asks Haslam for pardon (via email)

Allison Burchett, ex-wife of Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett and reportedly a “confidential informant” for the FBI since their 2012 divorce, has asked Gov. Bill Haslam to pardon her conviction for misdemeanor cyber crimes – part of a plea bargain arrangement – before he leaves office next January, reports Cari Wade Gervin.

The request came in a Dec. 13 email that the Nashville Post report says is similar to one sent this week to “dozens if not hundreds of people” by Allison Burchett contending Tim Burchett and others “orchestrated the false accusations” against her. Burchett is currently running for the Republican nomination in the 2^nd Congressional District.

The most recent email came shortly after an anonymous robocall attacked Burchett and sought to draw Knox County voters’ attention to the reported FBI investigation. (Note: Previous post HERE.)

Her email (to Haslam) is not word for word the same as the one sent out yesterday, but it’s close, and the same three documents were attached. At the end of her missive, she asked Haslam to pardon her and expunge her sentence before he leaves office — and to not support Tim as a congressional candidate.

According to Haslam’s spokesperson Jennifer Donnals, the governor did not respond.

Tim Burchett declined to discuss the emails but did issue the following statement.

“I had nothing to do with the investigation, prosecution and conviction of Allison Burchett. She is responsible for her own bad behavior and pleaded guilty to it. Prosecutors and the Court don’t believe her assertions, and neither do I. The bottom line is that I reported a crime committed against me, as anyone should; how investigators and prosecutors used that information was their decision, not mine,” Burchett said.

Note: The News Sentinel has a story on Allison Burchett’s mass email, HERE. An excerpt:

The email from allison@banditlites.com consisted of a 1,060-word introductory letter and three attachments:

A PDF labelled “PROOF TIM BURCHETT CAUSED INDICTMENT OF ALLISON BURCHETT.” It consists of a timeline and copies of documents related to search warrants and subpoenas, as well as a copy of a News Sentinel story in which Burchett’s spokesman, Michael Grider, said the mayor had “no role in the DA’s decision to bring criminal charges” Allison Burchett.

A PDF of a motion to dismiss the indictment against Allison Burchett.

A PDF of a motion to disqualify Assistant District Attorney William Bright from the case along with a series of attached exhibits.

Both of the court motions were prepared for the signatures of Allison Burchett’s attorneys William T. Ramsey of Neal & Harwell and David Eldridge of Eldridge & Blakney. But the copies were unsigned, and the motions were not filed in the case.

Allison Burchett and her lawyers did not respond to requests for comment on the email and the documents although she did send an email saying she had nothing to do with the robocall.