Franklin Alderman Gabrielle Hanson is, apparently, one of those divorced-from-reality MAGA types who doesn't think the law or common sense applies to her. So when she grabbed some pictures off social media to use on her website she probably thought nothing of it. But when the women in the picture found out about it they got angry. And that's understandable, seeing yourself on a politician's website that you don't know and who lives about 500 miles away. What's less understandable is why Hanson refuses to take the picture down and apologize, but instead continues to lie about it, and spouts gibberish about her constitutional right to post whatever she likes.

WTVF's veteran reporter Phil Williams says he's never seen anything like it.

Source: NewsChannel5, Nashville

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — "Appalled! Absolutely appalled!"

That's what a group of women from across the country are saying about how a candidate for Franklin mayor appears to have lifted their social media posts to falsely claim them as her supporters.

Franklin alderman Gabrielle Hanson, a controversial candidate who appears to relish her MAGA Republican ties, may not have thought that anyone would track down the women whose photos she posted last month on her campaign's social media accounts.

But that's exactly what NewsChannel 5 Investigates did over the weekend, and those women were outraged about how their images were used.

"I'm wondering how this person doesn't have other photos of other friends or actual supporters," said April, who asked us not to use her last name.

"It's a really far stretch to dig up a photo from social media from seven years ago of just what was a really delightful brunch of a group of women who just had met."

As this story was being posted, Hanson finally returned a phone call after NewsChannel 5's multiple attempts to reach her. In a bizarre and rambling conversation, Hanson and campaign aide Erin Mazzoni refused to answer any questions about the post, saying a federal court had upheld the rights of candidates to post whatever they want.

And here's the 7-minute video.

MUST WATCH: This call from @HansonforMayor - asking about the pic she posted of "supporters" who say they don't know her - is one of the more unusual phone calls I've ever received.
Franklin, Tennessee, this is one of your candidates for mayor. (Details in story below.) https://t.co/WcG4lcPrG3 pic.twitter.com/ZMBscTk5gh

— Phil Williams (@NC5PhilWilliams) September 11, 2023