A former Nashville Public Radio reporter spoke at a far-left activist planning session as left-wing agitators plan to disrupt August’s special session of the Tennessee General Assembly.
The Tennessee Star received secret audio recordings of the meeting and has reported extensively on the contents of those recordings.
Blake Farmer worked for Nashville Public Radio as a senior healthcare reporter until the end of February. He now works at Wellvana, an organization that says it brings “technology, tools, dedicated resources, and expertise you need to navigate the ever-changing world of healthcare,” as that company’s Head of Content.
Though The Star does not have the recording of Farmer’s actual speech, he was introduced at the beginning of the event by Julie Edwards, the Advocacy & Organizing manager for Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi.
Edwards works in the same role for Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood, the pro-abortion group’s political activism arm, which hosted the Saturday get-together for the left-wing agitators.
Edwards said that Farmer would be giving the group tips on dealing with the media, should they encounter any while protesting.
The Star reached out to Wellvana to see if his appearance at the gathering was acceptable to the company but did not hear back. The Star also asked Nashville Public Radio if Farmer’s appearance at the gathering could lead readers and listeners to believe the station has a left-wing bias. Nashville Public Radio did not return a comment request.
Farmer himself did not return a comment request.
The left-wing agitators are targeting several locations around the city for potentially violent interactions with law enforcement entities, private organizations, and the Metro Council. They also plan to harass Republican lawmakers and have armed “security” at their rallies.
Gov. Bill Lee (R) called the special session to address gun control in the wake of the mass shooting at The Covenant School at the end of March.
Lee is insisting on implementing red flag laws in the state, a proposition which Republican lawmakers have deemed a “non-starter.”
Meanwhile, the public eagerly awaits the release of a manifesto left behind by The Covenant School shooter, Audrey Elizabeth Hale, who identified as transgender. That manifesto is expected to explain the motive for the shooting, but its release has been slow-rolled by both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD).
Multiple lawsuits have been filed, including one by The Star News Network, demanding its release.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter.
Photo “Blake Farmer” by Blake Farmer.Â
