Berlin Boyd threatened me from the dais.

This is a witness account, so I am putting it in the first person.  At the City Council meeting on July 24th 2018, I made a 2-minute speech at City Council, in which I referred to a vote in September 2017 in which Boyd did not recuse himself.   Berlin Boyd responded with a remarkable diatribe, in which he said “…someone’s going to get hurt and it won’t be me.”

Background

I wrote a blog in July, 1544 Madison: An Open Letter to Berlin Boyd, which was part of a series of blogs on Boyd.  The blog followed Boyd’s interactions with enterprises owned by Bill Orgel, including almost $40K in political contributions, a series of votes on the Land Use Control Board in which Boyd voted for permits for Orgel cell towers and a number of grants to Orgel developments, on which Boyd voted on City Council.  I provided some open record requests at the EDGE board and DMC proving eleven meetings between Boyd and EDGE officials, Boyd’s partnership with Bill Orgel’s family firm and other Orgel lieutenants, and the issuance of a $6.2M PILOT to the partnership.

Berlin Boyd called me out.

At the previous Council meeting on July 10th, Boyd had an interaction with a speaker from the public, Aaron Fowles.   In this extract from the official video, at minute 9:56, Boyd talks about Theryn Bond’s ejection from the chamber at the previous meeting and continues “… People who put lies out and people get contracts and go to Nashville and set up TDZ’s.  Are you serious.  And you sit there and lie and hold your camera…”.   I was holding a camera at the time.

I had written “Berlin Boyd applied to the State of Tennessee to expand the Tourism Development Zone northwards.”, in relation to the Mud Island TDZ.   In the linked article in the Memphis Daily News: “Memphis City Councilman Berlin Boyd said that he’s waiting to hear back from the state of Tennessee about an expansion of Mud Island’s tourism development zone to encompass the Pinch District.

Mystery car noted on Facebook.

On July 10th, someone posted about seeing a vehicle with Mississippi plates and a “B BOYD” vanity tag parked in front of City Hall.  A comment was made that it might be Berlin Boyd’s car and I said it might have been former council member Bill Boyd.

On the 24th, I posted on MRYE for people to keep an eye out for this car and get a photo.  I did not mention Berlin Boyd, just quoted the vanity plate.

 

What Happened at City Hall

Here’s an excerpt from the 2-minute speeches on 7/24/2018, taken from the official video.   As I felt that Boyd had directly addressed me on the 10^th, I came to Council and spoke.

Thanks to Councilwoman Janis Fullilove

I started out by thanking Councilwoman Fullilove, who had said, “Last fall, I deferred to some of my colleagues on the City Council who expressed concern about IRV.  I have rethought my position.  The people have already voted for this.  We ought to give it a try”.  I added: thank you Councilwoman Fullilove, one honest council member”.

Correcting the Nashville misquote

Then I referred to Boyd’s statement from the previous meeting.  Boyd said that I had said he went to Nashville, then gave the quote above from my blog: “Berlin Boyd applied to the State of Tennessee to expand the Tourism Development Zone northwards.”   And then I quoted the original Daily News article which I had linked.  I pointed out the misquote.

Conflict of Interest in September vote

Then I went on to my final point of the evening.  2/28/2017 1544 Madison Partners buys the Madison Avenue property. 9/5/2017:  Berlin Boyd votes on City Council for a cell tower special use permit for Tower Assets Newco IX LLC, one of Bill Orgel’s cell tower ventures.  This vote happened after the 1544 Madison property deal, so Orgel was a partner of Boyd at the time of this vote.

I was about to go on and ask why Boyd had not recused himself, when I got cut off.

Berlin Boyd lashes out

Berlin Boyd:  What does this have to do with…  Let me just say this.  I am about to go on record to file a restraining order against you, because you are becoming excessive and stalkerish.   You just lied two seconds ago when you said that I was driving a vehicle with Mississippi tags on it.  I do not own a vehicle with Mississippi tags on it.  **

Berlin Boyd:  But I will go on record to put a restraining order against you, because someone’s going to get hurt and it won’t be me.  I guarantee that.  Have a nice day.

Me:  So I’m going to get hurt, am I?

BB: Sir, you drive by my house and that’s inappropriate.

Me:  I’ve never driven by your house.

BB: I’m not debating you sir.

Me:  I’ve never been on your street.

BB: I have cameras at my house, sir, and your behavior is excessive.  You’re stalking me and lying on me every chance you get.  Sir, please have a seat.

Me: I’ve never lied about you.

BB:  Set him out, get your facts straight, kick him out

** This is a reference to my request for people to photograph the “B BOYD” vanity tag.   I never said he was driving the car.

Boyd Highlights

I have never stalked Boyd, never been on his street, and I am not on Boyd’s security camera footage.   He is a corrupt public figure and I have blogged about him.   I have not lied about Berlin Boyd.

Boyd issued a physical threat in response to my fair comment.

Berlin Boyd lies a lot.   He should release his security footage.   I predict he won’t.

Conclusion

Berlin Boyd is rattled about my blog.   There’s a smoking gun there.

Legal Fees Fundraiser.

Please donate to my fundraiser at fundly.com.  I’m raising money to pay an attorney to get an order of protection against Berlin Boyd.    (Updated 7/26/2018).