District attorney tight-lipped about probe

District Attorney General Russell Johnson has declined a public records request to review correspondence between his office, Roane County Attorney Tom McFarland and Roane County Property Assessor David Morgan.
“Those items are part of an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation,” Johnson said. “Per TCA statute, information that is part of an ongoing TBI investigation is strictly confidential.”
Johnson responded to the Roane County News’ public records request by letter. 
“This investigation was verbally predicated by me after a meeting at my office between myself, Tom McFarland, David Morgan, three of Morgan’s employees (who were also employees of {former property assessor Teresa} Kirkham’s), Assistant District Attorney Bill Reedy, members of the Roane County Sheriff’s Office and a TBI special agent,” Johnson wrote.
He is being tight-lipped about the focus.
“If the investigation reveals evidence of conduct that warrants prosecution, the public will be informed by my office,” he said. “It is imprudent and probably unethical for me to even speculate about the potential of any criminal charges at this early stage or even to reveal the nature of any allegation or against whom the allegation(s) have been made.”