United States Congressman Mark Green says there is an ongoing investigation of Land Between the Lakes that “Will take months to complete.”
Talking with LBLUS.com via text today, the congressman said, ” This investigation will take months. I would never want to compromise the work being done. All I can say is that it is going on,” Green said.
Stewart County Mayor Robin Brandon was asked today if he could shed any light on the LBL investigation.
Brandon was asked if the investigation is criminal in nature. He said it’s his understanding the investigation is not criminal, but has something to do with how public money has been allocated by the feds to the national recreation area.
Brandon said local, state and federal officials from Tennessee and Kentucky, with geographic ties to LBL, met June 15 at Land Between the Lakes administrative offices in Golden Pond, Ky. to try to get some answer from LBL officials on funding allocations, funding reductions and reduction of services at the sprawling federal holding.
The fact LBL is under investigation became public via a recent meeting of the Dover Kiwanis Club.
Recently Green was guest speaker at the Dover Kiwanis Club, Dover, TN and was asked about LBL. He told Dover Kiwanians about the LBL investigation. Brandon was at that meeting and heard Green say LBL was under investigation.
Relations between Green and Brandon have been less than cordial in recent months.
Green confirmed he’d told Dover Kiwanians that LBL was under investigation and reiterated that he could not give details for fear of jeopardizing on ongoing investigation.
In a previously published story by LBLUS.com, Congressman Green said:
“My office was made aware of discrepancies in LBL budget numbers from Regional Forest Service Office to us,” Green said. “The best way to say it is there are discrepancies between the identified appropriation and the reported authorization,” Green told LBLUS.com
Green said the LBL report to Congress is being investigated to assure “full transparency.”
Green said due to the nature of the investigation, he cannot comment further in public.
“The last thing I want to do is compromise an investigation,” the congressman said.
“We will get to the bottom of it and most importantly we’ll make certain that Land Between the Lakes is properly funded,” Green told LBLUS.com.
At another recent meeting about LBL in Cadiz, Ky., Brandon said he mentioned to U.S. Senator Rand Paul, Kentucky, that Congressman Green had told Dover Kiwanians that LBL was under investigation and that Paul basically shrugged off the remark.
The word “investigation” usually brings a strong reaction; but investigations” and “official inquiries” of Land Between the Lakes, are nothing new. The 170,000 acre peninsula that spans Tennessee and Kentucky was born in controversy with its creation via eminent domain in the mid-1960s.
Congressional Public Hearings on Land Between the Lakes have been held in years past in Stewart County, Tennessee and other LBLUS.com area cities.
This story will update …..
Story and Photos by David R. Ross ~ LBLUS.com
I believe the transparency of this “investigation” will be as transparent as all governmental muddy water. Imminent domain for the area needed for water back up (the lakes) is within understanding. Even then many lives were uprooted and some people went to an early grave. All the other land was unfairly “purchased.” Thousands of lives were destroyed. Farms and homes were taken unnecessarily. Many lives were upset. “Discrepancies” in government usually mean someone(s) pocketed the money or stole something. I’m looking forward to how TVA was justified in taking one-third of Trigg County. Likewise, they took other countries as well. This is one transparency to which I look forward to seeing. garrywthomas@minister.com