Isn't it amazing how all these charges suddenly came to light, but nobody heard about them before?.
"He voted for the income tax in the most recent vote."
He was reportedly a conservative "anti-tax" Republican until he recently voted for the income tax. Anybody else putting 2 and 2 together here? I think he was blackmailed with this dirt by the pro-taxers. This guy was apparently pretty sick, but at least he ended it all by doing the honorable thing.
WSMV Nashville
Nancy Amons
June 19, 2002
The surprising revelations of Representative Westmoreland’s troubles with police began emerging just three days ago, although the allegations now go back several months.
Channel 4 broke the story of Westmoreland's arrest in Florida last week. And soon it beca me apparent that it wasn't the first allegation against him for public indecency.
Westmoreland's trouble with the law in Florida began one week ago Wednesday. On June 12th, according to a police report, he exposed himself, his sex organs to juveniles at a pool in Sandestin.
When Channel 4 broke the news of his arrest Monday, his colleagues on the hill were reluctant to believe it. "Men are innocent until proven guilty. And if that's a fact, that's a shame." Gary Odom said he hoped it was not true. "I find it hard to believe, he was a for me r law enforcement officer."
Tuesday, we learned Nashville police had talked to Westmoreland in connection with an incident at his Nashville apartment, The Wautaga on March 13th. In that case, police investigated him for standing naked in front of a window, but never charged him after he said he'd just gotten out of the shower.
Despite the publicity, Westmoreland appeared at the legislature just Wednesday morning. But Wednesday afternoon, Channel 4 learned that there had been yet another incident March 26th , at the Holiday Inn Select on Elm Hill Pike.
Police have an open case, Westmoreland had never been arrested. Two teenage girls say Westmoreland exposed himself to them in the hot tub.
In that March 26th incident, police say he fled the scene. But some one got the tag number, and the status of the case, was still under investigation. But obviously, that case won't go forward.
Keith Westmoreland was very popular in his ho me district of Kingsport. The Republican lawmaker was first elected to the statehouse in 1992. He had a distinguished career in local government and law enforcement.
Keith Westmoreland was 55 years old. He's survived by his wife and two children.
The more so since the allegations are weak. Getting a plate number is easy, claiming someone did something under those circumstances would be simplem my-word-vs-yours, and worse, hard to disprove with limited witnesses. The allegations could be real, or could be imaginary- particularly since the woman didn't press charges yet felt the need to report the alleged incident in the first place. I guess if you don't press charges, you can't risk perjury in court for a false allegation. Either way, it's strange. I wonder if he left a note? Not doing so would be strange under the circumstances.
People have been known to commit suicide just at the threat of career-wrecking slander. Boorda was slandered, one of the most highly respected admirals we've had in a long while. I've seen a few people become overnight 'untouchables' by gossip, and all unjustified. I've seen some real scumbags get 'outed' and they just kep t on chugging unperturbed. Seems a common thing for the true scumbag... after all, Clinton is still ticking.
Some things, once you have been accused of them, are just as damaging even if they have no substance, because once accused, you are assumed guilty until proven innocent- and the nature of the accusations are such you can never prove your innocence. Among these things are molestation, homosexuality, and racism. Still, just being a flasher doesn't seem such an enormous thing that committing suicide would seem the only way out if you get 'exposed,' pardon the pun.
I wonder if this guy was threatened with the possible release of a bigger 'issue,' real or flase, and the news about being a flasher was just a sample in case he wasn't planning to vote their way? Why else would he have changed his mind on taxes?
This act wasn't honorable. And I hope his suicide had nothing to do with a vote on the income tax. He had other demons...
I fail to see the honor of blowing your internal organs out for your family members to find and remember for the rest of their lives.
They can never step foot into that home again without that horrible vision.