CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A district attorney general in East Tennessee provided an update on an investigation into Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert which could result in a plea to the courts to remove her from office, and she said her office will visit Memphis to hear from the community on the embattled county clerk.
Coty Wamp, the district attorney for Tennessee's 11th Judicial District based out of Chattanooga, provided an update in a letter obtained by ABC24, saying the process of collecting evidence in the investigation her office was appointed to in June has been slow-going, and Wanda Halbert's office hasn't responded to requests for more information.
Wamp's office said it has "not received in writing one formal complaint or grievance in the form of an email, letter, or any other type of documented correspondence." However, Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright said that's not true. Wright said he has sent in complaints to the Hamilton County DA office and even received a response on some.
In an email obtained by ABC24, the Shelby County Trustee shared a letter to commissioners detailing, "since at least July 2021, none of the clerk's monthly reports were submitted timely and complete." That email was forwarded to Hamilton County DA's office and the office replied, "Got it. Thanks."
"It continues to harm constituents," Wright said. "I hear from car dealerships, from companies with large fleets that are having to deal with this office, from disabled citizens who are having trouble gaining access to the office and just regular routine business.”
Clerk Wanda Halbert has not responded to phone calls requesting a comment. Shelby County DA Mulroy is out of office until the new year.
"After my office was appointed, we immediately began attempting contact with individuals we believed would be important to speak with," Wamp said in the letter. "A majority of individuals did not return our calls."
Wamp then explained her office issued a public records request in July to the Shelby County Attorney's Office, which complied and gave the D.A. financial records pertaining to the Clerk's Office, although Wamp said sifting through those records has been, "time-insensitive."
Wamp said her office sent four more public records requests in November; one to the Shelby County Human Resources Department, one to the Shelby County Finance Department, and two to the Clerk's Office. As of Thursday, Dec. 21, Wamp said the only response she's received on these requests was from the Finance Department, who denied her request while allowing her to amend it with more specific language.
Wamp said the failure of response from both the HR Department and the Clerk's Office put both in violation of Tennessee's investigation and institution of proceedings law, which outlines what public offices and officials must do while under investigation.
In June, Shelby County D.A. Steve Mulroy ordered Wamp to investigate complaints against Wanda Halbert and look into her possible removal. If the complaints are proven, they could "constitute a willful neglect by Halbert to perform the duties of her office," according to the D.A.'s office.
However, Wamp said they will not rely on "hearsay or rumors," nor will they rely on evidence that Halbert is "bad" at her job, and will only petition a court to remove Halbert from office once she believes there's clear and convincing evidence that Halbert has neglected her duties as a public official.
How to set up one-on-one meetings with the D.A.'s Office on Halbert
To help with the investigation, Assistant District Attorney Kevin Loper from Wamp's office will come to Memphis Wednesday, Dec. 27, to meet with local officials and members of the community.
If you have knowledge and evidence of any potential neglect of official duties by Wanda Halbert, or if you want to be heard in the course of the investigation, the A.D.A. wants to hear from you.
Loper will be set up at the sixth-floor conference room of the Vasco A. Smith Jr. County Administration Building at 160 N. Main Street in downtown Memphis Thursday.
Those wishing to speak with the A.D.A. can set up an appointment by emailing jay.price@hcdatn.org, or kevin.loper@hcdatn.org. Also, anyone in the community can show up unannounced Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. and be seen. If this date and timeframe does not work for anyone, they may contact the office for another scheduled time.
