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LET'S SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT
It has always been my personal policy not to engage in any negative campaigning. It’s important to me to be positive and to run on my record and with integrity. That is still my policy and I won’t spend time discussing any other candidates. However, many of my supporters have urged me to respond to some of the allegations that are circulating through the County and have appeared in the local media.
• The Jackson County Board of Commissioners asked for, paid for, and received the results for the Mercer Group Study for all County employees. The Commissioners then implemented the recommendations of the Mercer Group for ALL County employees. I do not have the ability or authority to give myself an increase in salary. Salaries in County government are based upon position, responsibilities, education, experience, and years of service. This was a County-wide decision made solely by the Jackson County Board of Commissioners to retain qualified and experienced employees. The County Commissioners are solely responsible for the overall County budget and delegating those funds as they deem appropriate. I will continue to make requests to the Commissioners during the budget process to further expand our resources upon citizens’ requests and my own professional evaluations.
• I did get involved in the Strathmore Who’s Who Program and did use $1283 of taxpayers dollars for the application fees. I realize my mistake and have paid back in full the total amount to the Jackson County Finance Office out of my own pocket two months ago. Confirmation of this action can be found in the Finance Office’s records.
• Unauthorized Substance Taxes are generated by the arrest and conviction of felony drug dealers. 75% comes back to the arresting agency and 25% goes to the State of North Carolina. The General Statutes allow these monies to be used to “deter and investigate drug crimes”. I put back into the community what the drug dealers have taken away. All monies are taken from convicted felony drug dealers. Programs that I contributed to were to better the community and support the youth. I have chosen to spend some of this money for youth projects that encourage our young people to take part in healthy activities and for projects in the community. that aren’t part of the budget like the Substance Abuse Taskforce, Shop With A Cop Program, Community Watch and Crime Prevention, Life Challenge,
Jackson County Little League, Jackson County Youth Sports, Smoky Mountain High School Chorus and Athletics, American Legion Baseball, Blue Ridge School Athletics, Pumpkin Patch, Crime Stoppers, Refuse To Be A Victim, and numerous methamphetamine seminars just to name a few since 2003. These programs have been supported and been successful for the benefit of thousands of citizens in Jackson County. I will continue to support these organizations and others as a preventative and intervention method of law enforcement.
• The money used for carpet was to replace worn and damaged carpet in the entire Sheriff Office which includes offices, roll call rooms, hallways, etc. Using the drug tax money saved the County taxpayers $20,000. Again, this is drug dealers’ money taken from our community and used for the benefit of its citizens. All offices in the Sheriff’s Office houses employees who are involved in drug investigations. This facility is also utilized every day by citizens of Jackson County.
• The District Attorney’s Office asked the SBI by letter for an independent objective investigation into a County Employee who held the position of a County Department Head to avoid a conflict of interest. The SBI agreed but declined because of the shortage of manpower available in Western North Carolina. The Sheriff’s Office did investigate and charged him once and indicted him twice before the Grand Jury after conferring with the District Attorney’s Office. After the investigation was completed by the Sheriff’s Office and the case turned over to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution, this individual pled guilty in court and was sentenced.
• TAAS (Taxpayers Against Ashe for Sheriff) is a local political action committee who registered through the Jackson County Board of Elections. It consists of 3 contributors – David Finn (Owner of Blue Ridge Public Safety), Gary Ramey (a contractor who operates in Cashiers), and Jeff Scott (a private company police officer who works for David Finn). David Finn is the same person who has sued me and the citizens of Jackson County since October 2007. The lawsuit was filed because of the sheriffs in all 100 counties of NC opposed the General Assembly’s Company Police Modernization Act. This act would have allowed private and for-profit company security companies to enforce motor vehicle laws and run radar on U.S. and State highways. Numerous citizens of Jackson County expressed their opposition
to me as well. As a result of this opposition, based upon public outcry in Jackson County and as well as across the state, David Finn filed a lawsuit against me as a retaliatory act and continues to do so with his major role of involvement in this political action committee.
• A joint investigation between the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies of the ATF and DEA was conducted in the southern end of Jackson County approximately 4 years ago. This investigation led to the arrest of an individual in Cashiers for trafficking Crystal Methamphetamine and possessing weapons of mass destruction. The case was adopted by the U.S. Attorney. This individual was convicted and sentenced to 22 years in a Federal Penitentiary
in Indiana. Assets through Federal Forfeitures were seized and confiscated; one of which was a 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycle. The Marshall’s Service took possession of that motorcycle and it sat in the weather in a federal impoundment lot for 18 months in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It was
later turned over to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office as their portion of that forfeiture. $625.60 was needed to restore the motorcycle to its original condition from when it was first seized after it sat in the elements for 1 ½ years. The motorcycle was used in undercover investigations in Western North Carolina through mutual aid agreements. Numerous drug dealers were arrested and convicted as a result
of this multi-agency drug investigation in the 16 Western Counties of North Carolina. After the investigation was completed, I rode this motorcycle in numerous memorial and benefit fund-raising events as a representative of the Sheriff’s Office to solicit donations for those who had financial and medical needs. This investment was sold on Ebay after less than 15 months of official and legitimate use for a profit of almost $10,000 which went back in the County’s General Fund.
After politically motivated mud slinging, I have continued to stand strong on behalf of the citizens of Jackson County for which I work.
I am saddened that my family, officers, friends, and the good citizens of Jackson County have been so overwhelmed by negative campaigns and I won’t be discussing any of these issues further. Therefore, I am now setting the record straight and moving forward.
PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEE TO RE-ELECT SHERIFF JIMMY ASHE
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