Hanson, two days after the forum, issued a press release stating, "I did not hire the group that showed up at the debate the other night, nor did I ask them to participate as security for the event." She also presented screengrabs from the white supremacist group that circulated unfounded allegations about her opponent.
However, a Telegram channel associated with Hanson's neo-Nazi supporters, Patriot Girls United (Uncensored), denounced Hanson as a liar on Thursday morning. "No, she didn't hire them. But she most definitely did ask them to be there," the channel posted, along with a screengrab of Hanson's press release. The post concluded by labeling Hanson as "just another lying ass politician."
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Renee Lewis, the owner of the channel, also owns Lewis Country Store, a Second Amendment-themed gas station on the outskirts of Nashville that permits white supremacists to conduct fight training in the gym upstairs. Hanson, a real estate agent, is the listing broker for the store, which is currently under contract for sale. Brad Lewis, Renee's husband, attended the candidate forum on Monday with members of the Tennessee Active Club and told a reporter, "Gabrielle's a friend of mine and she's had some real credible threats."
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Raw Story identified Renee Lewis as the author of the post because the owner of the Patriot Girls United (Uncensored) channel, an account with the username "WhiskeyPapa88," made a post in June referencing a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center about Lewis Country Store. The Tennessee Active Club Telegram channel, run by Sean Kauffmann, later reshared Lewis' post calling out Hanson.
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Hanson, who currently serves as an at-large member of the Franklin Board of Mayor & Aldermen, the city's governing body, is seeking to unseat incumbent Mayor Ken Moore. Early voting is underway in the election, which is scheduled for Oct. 24.
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While avoiding questions from mainstream media outlets, Hanson told right-wing podcaster Jeremy Slayden on Wednesday that Tennessee Active Club was an "anti-antifa group" that conducts "cyber security" operations on the "dark web." She went on to make baseless accusations claiming that the publisher "a local liberal publication" is the "head of antifa in Tennessee" and that her election opponent is "actively linking" with antifa "and anti-gun activists as well."
Brad Lewis, hours after the neo-Nazis appeared at the candidate forum, issued a screed on Telegram warning area journalists about a coming "Day of the Rope," a phrase typically used by white supremacists to reference a violent purge against journalists, politicians, and other perceived political enemies.
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Following Raw Story’s report on Lewis’ online threats, he made another post on Telegram that targeted a local woman who filed an ethics complaint against Hanson. The ethics complaint addressed Hanson’s attempt to pressure Nashville International Airport to withdraw funding from a local Juneteenth festival.
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In response to the threat, local resident Peggy Kingsbury wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, "As one who received threats from this group I hold her responsible. The only tie between this group and me is Gabrielle Hanson. Otherwise they have no reason to even know I exist. She welcomed them to Franklin and she failed to denounce them at the forum.”
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Meanwhile, Brad Lewis responded to Raw Story’s reporting on his threat against journalists by doubling down with a mocking and antisemitic post on Thursday that reinforced the original messaging.
Hanson’s association with the Tennessee Active Club has been widely denounced by area elected officials.
Republican state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson told the Williamson Herald, “It is vile for anyone to align with white supremacists or any other racist groups. Violence and intimidation have no place in political discourse. If indeed these people do proclaim to be ‘actual literal Nazis,’ then it is reprehensible to use such a group to shield a candidate for public office from answering questions from the media.”
All eight members of Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen, excluding Hanson but including her opponent, expressed concern in a public statement on Wednesday.
“We, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, are deeply concerned and disturbed by the events that unfolded at Monday night’s candidate forum for the upcoming city election,” the aldermen said. “Individuals identifying as neo-Nazis and self-admitted supporters of Gabrielle Hanson threatened both our citizens and members of the media during and after this important civic event.”
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