by Sofia Saric
During the past 14 months, Sheriff Austin Garrett spent about $5,400 of Hamilton County funds across nearly five weeks of travel from a Virginia FBI graduation to a meeting with U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty.
Through an open records request, the Chattanooga Times Free Press obtained Garrett’s travel expenses from January 2024 through February 2025, which show Garrett expensed about $5,400 for 34 days of engagements outside of Hamilton County.
As a working sheriff, Garrett is dedicated to the safety and well-being of the county 24/7, 365 days a year, spokesperson Matt Lea said by email.
“While he is elected, he will be the first to tell you he is not a politician, nor has he forgotten how to conduct law enforcement operations,” Lea said. “He actively responds to incidents, pursuits and traffic stops at all hours, side-by-side with our personnel. Whether in town or on the road, he regularly communicates with his leadership team to ensure the safety and security of our community.”
Garrett’s travels were mentioned twice this year in federal lawsuits filed by former District Attorney Neal Pinkston on behalf of Deward Johnson and Christopher Ayala.
Johnson was arrested around 6:30 a.m. on March 14, 2024, in connection with a year-old shoplifting incident at a Chattanooga Walmart and was dead by 9:25 p.m. while in the custody of the sheriff’s office, the complaint said. Ayala was arrested April 27, 2024, on charges of improper use of 911, and medical staff found him to be comatose after spending less than four hours inside the Hamilton County Jail.
Pinkston alleged in both lawsuits that instead of improving Hamilton County Jail conditions, Garrett devoted significant time to addressing problems 1,200 miles away at the U.S. Southern border months prior to Ayala and Deward’s detention.
“In addition to touring Eagle Pass, Texas, as part of a group led by U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, Garrett traveled to Nashville to participate in a press conference about the trip,” the complaints said. “He and Hagerty also hosted a ‘public’ event at the private Walden Club to ‘help our community understand’ … the ‘unmitigated disaster we are seeing unfold at the border.'”
Lea said this point of view overlooks the reality that law enforcement and government leaders worldwide routinely engage in educational opportunities, training and personal time without compromising their responsibilities or ability to lead.
“For an attorney, especially a former district attorney who also traveled to conferences and educational engagements himself, to suggest that Sheriff Garrett cannot lead the agency while attending a conference is short-sighted and petty,” Lea said.
Pinkston, however, said by text message his travels as district attorney are public record, and people will find he only attended meetings required by the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference.
The lawsuits speak for themselves, Pinkston said.
“I do not attend conferences,” he said. “I prefer to work.”
According to Garrett’s travel records, a majority of his taxpayer-funded visits included 23 days for Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association conferences, committees and meetings.
Garrett participates in annual mandated training through these conferences, Lea said. Additionally, Garrett serves on the association board as well as its legislative committee, advocating on public safety matters affecting all Tennessee counties, Lea said.
“It is not unusual, it’s expected, for a sheriff to travel and participate in training, etc., especially one who represents the fourth largest county in the state and serves in leadership positions on multiple statewide boards,” Lea said. “As part of his leadership responsibilities, particularly with the TSA, Sheriff Garrett regularly meets with legislators in Nashville and local, state and federal law enforcement leaders to discuss policies, issues and other matters vital to the law enforcement profession.”
Garrett spent three days in Stafford, Virginia, for an FBI graduation and four days in Nashville at an FBI conference, the records show.
The sheriff is a 2018 graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and a member of the Tennessee Chapter of the FBI National Academy, Lea said. Last year, Garrett attended the annual conference that included training, networking and technology, keeping the sheriff’s office active in the organization.
In 2024, Garrett also traveled to Quantico to attend the graduation of Chief Deputy Spencer Daniels from the FBI National Academy, marking the sheriff’s office first graduation from the national academy in over a decade, Lea said. Garrett plans to have more sheriff’s office personnel participate in the academy moving forward.
“Graduating from this prestigious 10-week academy is a significant career milestone, and law enforcement leaders, both sheriffs and chiefs, across the nation attend these ceremonies to support their personnel and this incredibly important accomplishment,” Lea said.
Garrett was also in Franklin for four days from Feb. 18-21 last year for a meeting with Hagerty, the travel records show. During that time, Garrett and Hagerty held a news conference in Nashville about a group trip to Eagle Pass, Texas, where they met with members of the community and law enforcement, including U.S. Border Patrol.
The two-day border trip was not paid for by county taxpayers, Lea said, though the office could have paid from its travel or training budgets.
Garrett spent about $650 of his campaign funds, instead, according to his financial disclosure statement.
“The knowledge and insights Sheriff Garrett has gained through his involvement with the TSA and the FBI National Academy have had a direct, positive impact on our community,” Lea said. “Moreover, his recent trip to the border provided him with a unique, unfiltered perspective on the complex challenges of illegal immigration, enhancing his ability to address the broader implications it has now brought to our local community.”
Garrett also went to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration of President Donald Trump, but it was a personal trip that he opted to cover costs for personally, Lea said, adding the visit serves as an example of the fact Garrett is always working.
“While in Washington, he accommodated media interviews and requests for comments from reporters in Hamilton County, highlighting the fact he makes himself accessible, even when he is on a personal trip,” Lea said. “He is always the sheriff, and he is always working.”
Friday, Garrett was invited to participate in a roundtable discussion with newly appointed FBI Director Kash Patel, which underscores the importance of fostering meaningful connections and a commitment to public safety, Lea said.
“This opportunity to represent Hamilton County at such a significant meeting was made possible through Sheriff Garrett’s ongoing efforts and the strong relationships he has cultivated with local, state, and federal law enforcement, as well as Tennessee’s elected officials,” Lea said.
Contact Sofia Saric at ssaric@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476.
Read the original published story on the Times Free Press here.