Meet ‘Nashville’s Nosiest Bitch’—the Scourge of Corrupt Pols

John Oliver praised him as “Nashville’s nosiest bitch.” A far-right mayoral candidate branded him “fake news.” But Phil Williams, chief investigative reporter for Tennessee’s NewsChannel 5, doesn’t care what you call him—as long as you call with tips about liars, frauds, and hypocrites.

“As my general manager points out, if you want to be popular, investigative reporting is not the job for you,” Williams, 62, told The Daily Beast in a Zoom interview last week. “But it’s important work and you just have to take the good with the bad.”

Williams’ national profile has grown exponentially in recent weeks because of his investigation into Alderman Gabrielle Hanson, a far-right candidate for mayor in Franklin, Tennessee, where she’ll face voters on Tuesday. His relentless reporting has uncovered Hanson’s ties to white supremacists; her husband’s Speedo-flaunting—at her alleged behest—at a 2008 pride parade; and her social media photo of a group of “supporters” who have since denounced her and claim they don’t even know her.

Read more at The Daily Beast.