Dolly Parton’s Criticism of Tenn. Senator Was ‘Fabrication’
Dolly Parton's never been afraid to speak her mind, but a radio interview during which the superstar reportedly expressed her disapproval of high-interest payday loans (and the senator's alleged stance on them) apparently never took place!
According to the original story at www.PR-USA.net (which is now an expired link), the outspoken singer supposedly granted an interview to radio station WAXO-1220AM (Kickin' Country) in Lewisburg, Tenn., during which she allegedly said Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) was refusing to regulate the nation's payday loan industry, which charges a 400 percent interest rate to military families and unemployed workers for short-term loans when they're short of cash.
Sen. Corker's spokesperson, Laura Herzog, states no such interview happened, saying (via Nashville Post), "As a lifelong Dolly Parton fan, I am pleased to tell you the blog posting and incident it describes appear to be total fabrications. We have spoken with the radio station, WAXO in Lewisburg, as well as a Dolly official and neither had any knowledge of any such interview."
The statement from Herzog continues: "The notion that Sen. Corker attempted to carve out an exemption for payday lenders in financial regulatory reform negotiations is completely false as well. Sen. Corker has said, "This is a classic example of the old saying 'why let the truth get in the way of a good story.' I realize salacious stories sell more newspapers, but the assumption that I have showed favoritism toward pay day lenders in regulatory reform negotiations is categorically false and not based on reality. From the beginning, my goal has been to level the playing field so the same rules would apply to all involved in lending."
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