Two senior officials in the Knox County government are facing allegations of misusing public funds following recent indictments for official misconduct, according to multiple local news sources. WBIR reports that “Former Knox County Trustee employee Jason Dobbins has been indicted on two felony counts of official misconduct,” following a grand jury decision prompted by a state investigation into questionable financial activities involving the trustee’s office.
Joining Dobbins in the indictment is Knox County Property Assessor Phil Ballard, both were the subjects of a grand jury decision late last week; meanwhile, Knox County Trustee Justin Biggs has managed to avoid indictment by the same jury, according to information obtained by WIVK.
In response to these allegations and the subsequent legal actions, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs expressed his frustration, “I am extremely disappointed to hear this news. While the property assessor and the trustee’s office both operate independently, and are not under the purview of the mayor’s office, allegations of misconduct by any elected official or employee undermine confidence in government, which is already rightfully low,” Jacobs conveyed through a statement covered by both WVLT…