From today’s Daily News Journal:

The Republican-controlled Rutherford County Election Commission hired Nicole Lester as the election administrator Monday night with little discussion — to the chagrin of Democratic commissioners concerned with her campaign connections to Sheriff Robert Arnold.

Democrats Denice Rucker and Johnny Taylor opposed giving the job to Lester because her husband, Joe Russell, worked as the campaign treasurer for Republican Sheriff Robert Arnold and accepted appointment to be the chief of administration for the sheriff after Arnold won the Aug. 5 election.

“She has a perceived conflict of interest, so I’m disappointed in the results,” Rucker said after the meeting.

A frustrated Taylor declined to comment after the meeting.

During the meeting, Taylor complained that Lester could be ineffective as the election administrator every four years during the sheriff’s race.

“We all know it’s going to be there,” Taylor said.

The Rutherford County Election Commission will soon choose a replacement Election Administrator after Tom Walker was forced out several weeks ago. One of the applicants is attorney Nicole Lester Russell, who previously worked for Chancellor Robert Corlew III and is the husband of Joe Russell, who applied for the Election Administrator position the first time around.

Mrs. Russell is clearly in conflict. Her husband, Joe Russell, is the chief administrator for Sheriff Robert Arnold, who won a hotly contested (blowout) election against popular Democrat Truman Jones. There is no doubt that Sheriff Arnold is doing a fine job, but how can the spouse of one of his top aides be impartial in the next election?

She would practically have to recuse herself from the process, which would leave Rutherford County without an Election Administrator for a county election and federal primary.

I am not calling into question Mrs. Lester’s skill or ability to perform the duties under normal circumstances; however, it seems to me she has a clear financial interest in ensuring Sheriff Arnold wins a possible re-election bid the next time his name appears on the ballot.

What’s more, Mrs. Lester actually worked on Arnold’s 2010 campaign.

The Election Commission should consider potential conflicts of interest given the contentious debate over who should serve on the Election Commission and as Administrator. Even the slightest hint of impropriety would further jeopardize the credibility of the Rutherford County Election Commission.