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Ray Blanton (1930-1996) was a Democrat who served as governor of Tennessee from 1975 to 1979 and as a U.S. representative from 1967 to 1973. He initiated government reforms, brought foreign investment to the state, but also faced scandals over pardons and liquor licenses.
Jun 11, 2021 · Samuel Pettyjohn, a friend of Jimmy Hoffa, was killed after testifying about Blanton's cash-for-clemency scandal. Authorities say Blanton's administration funded the hit and covered up the evidence.
May 15, 2023 · Just five days before inauguration day, Gov. Ray Blanton drove to the capitol around 7 p.m. and pardoned or issued commutations for 52 people, including 26 convicted murderers. FBI agents believed many of them paid cash for their release.
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Jun 10, 2021 · A federal witness who cooperated with authorities in the cash-for-clemency scandal was killed by a hitman in 1979. Investigators say the Blanton administration paid for the hit and covered up the evidence.
Oct 8, 2017 · Ray Blanton, three-term congressman and one-term governor, was born in April 1930, in Hardin County and grew up on a farm close to the small town of Adamsville in McNairy County. His “dirt-poor” upbringing in the cotton fields of West Tennessee permanently endowed Blanton with a rough-hewn populist tendency that endeared him to the working ...
WVLT News sat down with the men and women involved in the first-of-its-kind investigation into former Gov. Ray Blanton and the scandal that stained his administration.
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The scandal ultimately led to the ousting of Democratic Gov. Ray Blanton, who was never indicted in the investigation — but three of his aides were.
