Councilman Robert Swope admits To 1998 solicitation bust

Councilman Robert Swope is one of the few self identified Republicans in the Metro Council and he

Robert Swope

was Trump's Tennessee State Director. He is the most conservative member of the Council and yet is effective and respected by his colleagues.  He is running for a position on the Republican State Executive Committee challenging Ron McDow for the District 20 Republican State Executive Committeeman seat. The election is August 2.

Apparently Ron McDow dug up some dirt on Robert Swope. Swope was charged with the misdemeanor of  soliciting prostitution on Sept. 11, 1998. He paid a  $1,000 bond and there was never a  disposition of the case, indicating that it is still open. 

Swope told The Tennessean he had stopped at a gas station in Chattanooga while driving back to Nashville from Atlanta and a woman banged on his window and propositioned him and "out of complete curiosity, I said 'How much?'"  Then blue lights shown up and he was sited with solicitation of prostitution and released.

That sounds perfectly reasonable to me.  I have been approached by prostitutes who asked, "You want a date?" I have engaged them in conversation, probably also asking how much.  It could happen to anyone.

Swope told this story near the end of the Council meeting on Tuesday night. "In the decades since this long-forgotten episode, I've grown... met an incredible woman, gotten married, and tried to serve my community and my country as honorably and as well as I could," Swope said. "This alone doesn't absolve me from my past transgressions, but my youthful indiscretions were just that -- youthful indiscretions."

He later told The Tennessean that when he showed up in court, they had no record of his arrest and sent him on his way. The Tennessee reports that Hamilton County court records have no court date listed for Swope or any indication that a subsequent failure-to-appear warrant was issued.

Swope made his public statement because he said he wanted to "get out in front of this."  "I respect my wife, my family, and my constituents of this city far too much to let this come out without hearing it from me first."

Ron McDow who is apparently the one responsible for digging up the dirt on Swope, has a lengthy record accusing him of beating his wife.  (link)
 

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