KNOXVILLE - In a significant political development, Erik Wiatr, a conservative consultant from Knox County, is set to file a sworn complaint with the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance against developer Scott Davis. The complaint asserts that Davis has committed multiple violations of state campaign finance and election laws related to a political mailer distributed in advance of the May 5, 2026, Knox County Republican primary.

	Scott Davis

The mailer in question is alleged to falsely attribute its funding to the now-defunct Scruffy Little City PAC, while simultaneously advocating against a slate of conservative candidates: Barry Beeler, Betsy Henderson, Rhonda Lee, and Sheri Super. "This complaint exposes an attempt to manipulate the Republican primary through deception and illegal spending," stated Wiatr, who previously chaired the Scruffy Little City PAC. "Voters deserve transparency, not hidden agendas from developers with questionable pasts pushing liberal candidates under the GOP banner."

The controversial mailer features AI-generated imagery and misleading claims, prominently displaying a disclosure stating it was "Paid for by Scruffy Little City PAC." However, the PAC officially ceased operations in November 2025, as confirmed by both Wiatr and former treasurer Chrissey Stephens, leaving no remaining funds or activities. Documentation obtained from Redhead Promos indicates that Scott Davis personally financed the production and distribution of the mailers without registering as a multicandidate political action committee (PAC), as mandated by T.C.A. § 2-10-105 for expenditures opposing multiple candidates.

The complaint outlines several statutory violations, including:

• False attribution of funding, which contravenes T.C.A. § 2-19-120, requiring accurate identification of sponsors.
• Misleading representations regarding endorsements or opposition by nonexistent entities, violating T.C.A. § 2-19-116, both classified as Class C misdemeanors.
• Exceeding individual contribution limits as delineated by T.C.A. § 2-10-302 and § 2-10-303, with established limits for local races during the 2025-2026 cycle set at $1,900 per election.

Scott Davis, a notable figure within Knoxville’s development sector, operates firms such as Eagle Bend Development and Mesana Investments. He has garnered both support and opposition for his advocacy of high-density housing projects, frequently seeking rezonings that double or triple standard residential densities. His development agenda has faced mounting scrutiny from conservative county commissioners who have recently gained seats in local government.

Reports further reveal Davis's history of contributing to liberal candidates, including substantial donations to Democratic figures like Courtney Durrett and Damon Rawls during the 2024 Knox County Commission races. Currently, in the 2026 cycle, he has backed mayoral candidate Larsen Jay and county commissioner candidates Gina Oster and Buddy Burkhardt, all running against officially recognized conservative candidates.

Additionally, Davis’s troubled personal history includes serious legal issues, notably arrests in December 2020 for aggravated assault, animal cruelty, and resisting arrest following an incident involving a process server.

Wiatr's complaint urges the Registry of Election Finance to conduct a thorough investigation into these allegations and recommend appropriate penalties, including potential criminal referrals. Accompanying the complaint are documented pieces of evidence, including images of the mailer, relevant emails, and invoices confirming Davis's financial involvement.

As this matter unfolds, it raises important questions about campaign integrity and compliance with electoral laws in Tennessee, with implications for the upcoming primary and future elections.

Description of Alleged Violations: I am filing this attached sworn complaint alleging violations of Tennessee campaign finance laws by Scott Davis in connection with a political mailer distributed in advance of the May 5, 2026, Knox County election, that began to arrive at homes on March 10, 2026. The mailer advocates against the election of multiple candidates (Barry Beeler, Betsy Henderson, Rhonda Lee, and Sheri Super) by associating them with me and making various claims about my background and affiliations. Attached are photographs of the mailer.

The mailer includes a "Paid for by Scruffy Little City PAC. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee." disclosure. However, Scruffy Little City PAC, which I chaired until its closure, was officially terminated by myself and the treasurer, Chrissey Stephens, in November 2025. The PAC has been inactive and closed since that time, with no ongoing activities, funds, or authorizations to make expenditures. This false attribution constitutes a knowingly false statement in the required sponsor identification, violating Tennessee Code Annotated (T.C.A.) § 2-19-120, which requires that any campaign literature must clearly and unmistakably identify the entity responsible for directly paying for the advertisement or communication. It is unlawful to publish or circulate such literature without accurate sponsor identification. Violations of this statute are punishable as a Class C misdemeanor.

Additionally, by falsely attributing the mailer to Scruffy Little City PAC—an entity that no longer exists and did not authorize or fund the material—Mr. Davis violated T.C.A. § 2- 19-116, which prohibits printing, causing to be printed, or assisting in the distribution of any writing, pamphlet, paper, photograph, or other printed material that contains the endorsement (or opposition) of a particular candidate or group of candidates by an organization or group, whether existent or not, with the intent that the recipient mistakenly believes the endorsement or opposition was made by an organization or group other than the one appearing on the printed material. The mailer's misleading "Paid for by" disclosure implies sponsorship and opposition by the closed PAC, deceiving recipients about the true source and intent. A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor.

Furthermore, invoices from Redhead Promos (attached as "Inv 4827 - Scott Davis.pdf," "Inv 4829 - Scott Davis.pdf," "RedheadPromosInc-4827.pdf," and "RedheadPromosInc- 4829.pdf") and email from Dylan Cobble at Redhead Promos (Redhead Promos Email Citing Scott Davis as Source.pdf) show that Scott Davis personally paid for the production, printing, and mailing of these postcards and mailing services. The total expenditures exceed $2,900 ($490.46 for Invoice 4827 on February 26, 2026, and $2,489.28 for Invoice 4829 on February 27, 2026, paid March 1, 2026). These expenditures were made to produce and distribute materials expressly advocating against multiple candidates in the Knox County election.

By making these expenditures to oppose two or more candidates without registering as a multicandidate political campaign committee (PAC), Mr. Davis violated T.C.A. § 2-10- 105, which requires every multicandidate political campaign committee to certify the name and address of its political treasurer to the Registry of Election Finance before making or accepting contributions or expenditures to support or oppose candidates. A multicandidate PAC is defined under T.C.A. § 2-10-102(9) as a committee that makes expenditures to support or oppose two or more candidates for public office. Since the expenditures exceed $1,000 in aggregate (per T.C.A. § 2-10-102(12)), registration was required, and failure to do so is a violation of campaign finance law.

In addition, Scott Davis has donated to Barry Beeler's opponent Buddy Burkhardt, Sheri Super's opponent Gina Oster, and Betsy Henderson's opponent Larsen Jay. By spending additional funds on the mailer beyond Tennessee individual contribution limits, he violated T.C.A. § 2-10-302, which limits individual contributions to candidates for local public office to $1,900 per election in the 2025-2026 cycle. These expenditures effectively support the opponents by attacking their rivals and should be treated as indirect contributions under T.C.A. § 2-10-303, exceeding the allowable limits.

These actions appear to be an attempt to impersonate or misuse the name of a closed PAC to conceal the true source of the funding and avoid proper registration and disclosure requirements.

I request that the Registry of Election Finance investigate these allegations and take appropriate action, including any civil penalties or referrals for criminal prosecution as provided under T.C.A. §§ 2-10-308 and 2-19-142 (noting potential enforceability concerns post-2020 judicial ruling but included for completeness regarding false statements).