Austin Lee, who is claiming to be President of Maury County Young Republicans of Tennessee, has circulated racist and anti-Semitic mail pieces that he claims he sent to 2,000 people. His social media posts and statements, along with his mailers and videos make his angry racist and anti-Semitic views clear, although his authority to speak for any actual Republican Party organization appears doubtful. It seems that the mailed pieces were heavily targeted to young men.
Lee attempted to disrupt the GOP Maury County monthly meeting on Monday night by repeatedly interrupting Rep. Scott Cepicky (who represents Maury County) and demanding an immediate debate so he could spew his deranged “theories” and anti-Jew hatred. Ultimately, Lee was escorted from the meeting by law enforcement.
The Tennessee Young Republican Federation Executive Committee has issued a detailed statement condemning the mailings and the views expressed in them. They specifically deny that they represent the views of the YR organization. The mailings were not seen in advance nor approved by the statewide organization. They also did not approve the use of their logo on the mail.
Andrew Swafford, the statewide President of the YRs, says that Lee submitted paperwork required to be granted a charter for a Maury County YR chapter pursuant to the bylaws and rules of the Tennessee YR Federation. In reliance upon that submission a Maury County YR chapter was approved during the statewide Spring meeting earlier this year.
Swafford says that they are in the process of reviewing what was submitted to determine if it was true and accurate, including claims of a required meeting being conducted, the attendance at that meeting and the notice provided. Swafford also indicated that the statewide organization is reviewing all of their options for dealing with the situation, but had no timeline for further release of information about the particular chapter and views expressed by Lee that do not reflect those of the organization and its leadership.
Jason Gilliam, chairman of the Maury County Republican Party, has also issued a statement condemning the hateful, unauthorized mailing. Gilliam noted that he was unaware that there was a Maury County Young Republican group. A previous chapter had been suspended for failure to maintain a minimum membership. Gilliam also pointed out that the group Lee claims to lead has had no interaction with the county party nor is there any indication that they have promoted any meetings or assisted any candidates in the county. There is no such group authorized or organized by the state or county GOP.
Lee appears to be the self-appointed leader of a possibly invalid chapter of the Tennessee YRs while falsely portraying himself to be associated with the Tennessee Republican Party and the Maury County Party.
Scott Golden, Chair of the Tennessee Republican Party, points out that the state party does not authorize, control or oversee either the Tennessee Young Republican Federation or the Tennessee Federation of Republican Women, or any local chapters that they authorize. They are independent groups with their own organizational bylaws, structure and leadership separate and apart from the state or county GOP organizations, Golden notes.
Gilliam says he understands that the Tennessee Attorney General and TBI have been asked to investigate the source and funding of the mail pieces. The mail pieces do not contain the legally required disclaimers for political mail, nor were they sent using an identifiable source of the postage. https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/advertising-and-disclaimers/ Homeland Security and the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance have also reportedly been contacted about the group’s activities.
Who paid for the mailing? Who printed it? Was it authorized directly or indirectly by the Tennessee Young Republican Federation? Is there any record of the establishment of a Maury County YR group by the state YRs? Some are questioning whether the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has any direct or indirect ties to Lee or his associates. At this point, there are more questions than clear answers.
Lee himself seems to be as much a mystery as the organization, with no visible education nor employment background available regarding who he is and the source of his financial support. It is also not clear how long he has lived in Maury County or where he came from.
Steve Gill is editor and publisher of TriStar Daily. This is a developing story and will be updated.
