District Attorney candidate Coty Wamp called a press conference on Wednesday to slam District Attorney Neal Pinkston as "disgraceful." Mr. Pinkston termed her allegations as "baseless" and said it was "a shame" to impugn the office of the DA and its employees.
Ms. Wamp said, "It was as an Assistant Public Defender that I truly learned the value of constitutional rights. The beauty of these rights is that they do not apply to some of us based on race, gender, or economic status; they apply equally to all of us.
As an Assistant District Attorney, I learned that to be a great prosecutor, one must pursue justice regardless of whether that means a case is lost or a person is let out of jail. A month ago, the possibility of an accidental injustice was brought to my attention, and I did what I could to bring it to the attention of others. I have stood by those actions and last night, in Soddy Daisy municipal court, justice also stood by those actions.
"The handling of this situation by our District Attorney was nothing short of disgraceful. Elected District Attorneys across the state have the privilege of being able to request TBI investigations. To use this privilege as a political weapon, asking for an investigation into your own political opponent, is not only an abuse of power, it is a disservice to the office you hold and to those that elected you.
"Unfortunately, this behavior was never a surprise to me. His behavior over the last eight years has consistently been impulsive and thoughtless. And unfortunately, the attacks and the games and the distractions will continue. While I have been meeting with hundreds of concerned citizens across this county on important criminal justice issues, my opponent asked for a baseless TBI investigation and has paid a private investigator from his campaign bank account.
"At the end of the day, being the District Attorney isn’t just about enforcing the law—it’s about one less grandmother who has to get a phone call that her grandson has been shot. It’s about standing up for the children who are neglected at the hands of parents who are too busy using drugs to care for them. It’s about justice for the parents who have lost a teenage son to a pill that was sold to him by someone who didn’t care whether he lived or died. It’s about caring. It’s about helping. As District Attorney, no matter if it’s Hugo Garcia Padilla in Soddy Daisy, the two-year-old on Plumwood Road who was shot in May, or the seven victims on Grove Street last September, I will always do my best to help.
"I hope the best for our District Attorney and his wife who is still being paid to work as his Chief of Staff. But with three months left in this campaign, I am as confident as ever that it’s time for new leadership.
"Lastly, while the news media is gathered here together, I’d like to ask for a formal and live debate between me and my opponent. Our community deserves to be able to ask questions. And they should expect leadership that is willing to answer those questions."
DA Pinkston said, "Prosecutors aren’t allowed to talk about ongoing investigations, so I can’t say much. Political optics and campaign rhetoric don’t belong in the DA’s Office. The Hamilton County Sheriff and the Board of Professional Responsibility agreed with my decision, yet ultimately that decision is mine. Each and every time a police department asks for help, I will always make sure those officers receive support, as I did in this case."
He added, "These are more baseless allegations. My expenditures are in accordance with state law. Facts and evidence are important , but Ms. Wamp routinely supplies none and continues to question my integrity. While I am working daily as the District Attorney to prosecute violent criminals, she spends her time maligning me, my entire staff, and the dignity of the Office of the District Attorney General. It's a shame to impugn the integrity of this Office and all of my employees who work hard on a daily basis to do the right thing."
Concerning debates, he said, “Absolutely, I accept and I’ve already personally told Ms. Wamp I’m looking forward to not just one, but a series of debates with her. I want the people of Hamilton County to compare our experience, our knowledge of the law, and our ability to answer tough questions so they can make an informed choice when they go to the polls."