APNewsBreak: Lee spurned paperwork in building first Cabinet

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — More than half of Republican Gov. Bill Lee's newly appointed cabinet members, including his education czar and Tennessee's Medicaid chief, didn't submit applications or provide any documents outlining why they deserved the jobs he gave them.

The Associated Press reviewed all the applications submitted to Lee's office during his transition. These public records included submissions for cabinet spots as well as other top jobs in the executive branch.

More than 1,400 applicants, mostly based in Tennessee, reached out to Lee's office seeking employment. However, only a few were chosen from this pile to work in his administration.

"In roughly 90 days, Gov. Lee and the transition team built a complete cabinet and senior staff that was ready to hit the ground running on day one," said Laine Arnold, Lee's spokeswoman, in a statement. "With the governor's extensive business and non-profit network, as well as the many Tennesseans he visited with and got to know leading up to his election, this provided a significant pool to engage with leaders who are the most qualified and prepared to advance his agenda."

It took the governor's office more than five weeks to make the applications and other materials available for viewing by the AP. Officials balked at providing copies, estimating that it would charge $2,236 to do so. The public can view public records for free in Tennessee, but are prevented from making their own copies or taking pictures of them while reviewing the documents, so the AP took the time to take notes and build its own database.

The records showed how Lee -- a first-time politician who ran on being a political outsider during the 2018 campaign -- assembled his team. Lee had set up a website during the transition, asking the public to apply for jobs in his administration, and his aides...