Defiant Gabrielle Hanson refuses to denounce hate group as Franklin aldermen deliver stern rebuke

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — Members of the Franklin Board of Mayor and Alderman sternly rebuked controversial alderman and mayoral candidate Gabrielle Hanson Tuesday night, accusing her of sowing division in a once-peaceful city by inviting members of a hate group into the community.

But Hanson quickly shot back, refusing to condemn the white supremacists who came to a candidates forum last week allegedly to protect her. Hanson said her colleagues were witnessing the "spiritual repercussions" of their own decisions.

"This is the old adage of you reap what you sow," the defiant Hanson said.

"You've planted seeds for years and years against our citizens, and they are coming to harvest.... It's easy to shift all the blame. I just happened to arrive at a time when everything was starting to crumble," she continued.

Last week, self-proclaimed white nationalist Brad Lewis and members of the Tennessee Active Club hate group made a show of force at a candidates forum. Lewis has made statements saying that they came at Hanson's specific request.

Hanson told the board they were there because of their concern about "Antifa."

"I'm not going to denounce anybody their right to be whatever it is they want to be — whether I agree with what they do in their personal life or not," she added.

Alderman Matt Brown pointed to Lewis's own admission that he and his associates were working with Hanson. He also noted that an image taken by Hanson's campaign was used by Lewis and the Active Club to taunt a Franklin resident who was critical of Hanson.

Brown said he wants an official vote to censure Hanson at the board's next meeting, whether or not she wins her race for mayor.

"To be silent is to be complicit," Brown said. "To not take action is to allow this behavior to root. We cannot allow this kind of hate to take hold in Franklin or else we have lost everything."

Alderman Beverly Burger posed a question directly to Hanson: "Is it your mission to divide our city? Because you are doing a bang-up job of it right now."

Jason Potts echoed that sentiment.

"What's been going on lately has to stop and has to stop now," he said. "Fear and intimidation and hatred have no home in Franklin."

Alderman Brandy Blanton blamed Hanson for bringing the worst kind of public attention to Franklin.

"It's embarrassing to end up on HBO, to end up on MSNBC — and not for the good stuff," Blanton said. "It's all traced down to one source."

For more about white nationalist figure Brad Lewis's statements about Hanson, watch below:

To understand better the alleged connections between Hanson and white supremacist groups, watch below:

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NC5 Investigates: Franklin Politics