Lawsuit: FBI failed to protect man slain amid Tennessee political scandal decades ago

Published May 18, 2023 2:33 PM

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The son of a key federal witness who officials gunned down decades ago during a major Tennessee political scandal is suing the FBI, saying it failed to protect his father. Marrell Graham filed the federal lawsuit earlier this week. He claims the United States’ actions led to the deprivation of income, care, and companionship of his father. In 2021, officials unveiled a political scandal showing that Samuel Pettyjohn, a trusted ally of union boss Jimmy Hoffa, was gunned down in 1979 in downtown Chattanooga after testifying about corrupt officials selling prison pardons. An FBI spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit.

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