I am currently out on the road. Specifically, I am heading down to Mississippi for the college football playoff. However, before I fully engage with the game, I need to address a major situation in the automotive world. Most of you likely know who Cody is from the channel WhistlinDiesel. Recently, disturbing news has surfaced regarding his legal battles. Therefore, we need to talk about whether the State of Tennessee is targeting WhistlinDiesel.
I have said this many times before. It is impressive when guys are able to come from nothing. Cody literally built himself up from zero. As a result, he built a massive business and made something of himself. However, I often feel like the establishment hates on you when you achieve this independent success. Unless you are donating money to politicians, they often view you as a target. In that case, they love you. But in this case, the situation feels different. If you do not know who WhistlinDiesel is, I highly recommend you check out his channel immediately.
A History of Legal Conflict
I genuinely feel like the State of Tennessee has a vendetta against Cody. Currently, that is exactly where we are at. For instance, looking back a few years, there was a previous incident. A small town in Tennessee tried to make an example out of him. The issue was over splashing water with a jet ski. Yes, they made a legal issue out of splashing with a jet ski.
Eventually, he went through that entire legal case. In the end, they came to a mutual settlement. Consequently, Cody did not end up with a criminal record from that event. However, it seems the state has not forgotten. Now, we have arrived at this new situation involving a Ferrari. The state appears to be looking for a way to get back at him. This feels like retribution.
The Montana LLC Controversy
The current issue revolves around Cody buying a Ferrari. Like me, he utilizes a Montana LLC. For example, I registered some vehicles in Montana. These vehicles connect directly to my business. In addition, I registered other vehicles here in the State of Nevada. Specifically, I tie those directly to the Air Force base where I operate my business.
What I find interesting is the reaction from the State of Tennessee. I saw Cody’s latest video on the matter. The state has an obligation to let a citizen know if they are in the wrong. Furthermore, they should inform you if taxes are due. However, Tennessee wanted this case badly. As a result, they told his accountant not to tell him anything about it. They wanted to continue their investigation in secret. They chose this path instead of simply letting Cody pay whatever tax the state thought he owed.
To be honest with you, I do not believe he owed that tax. Basically, he registered the vehicle in Montana. Furthermore, he registered it to a legitimate Montana business. Therefore, the State of Tennessee is overstepping. For comparison, consider my situation in Nevada. Does the State of Nevada come after me for registering a vehicle in Montana? No, they do not.
Legitimate Business Practices
When I had the McLaren, Nevada did not pursue me. The insurance policy is in Montana through USAA. Additionally, the registration was in Montana. It was the same situation for the BMW M5s. From everything that I have seen, Cody did everything the right way. I can only go by what I have seen publicly. However, it looks completely legitimate.
Therefore, I feel like this is an attack. It is a form of retribution. They are saying, “We are going to get you back for what you did to us.” That is exactly what this feels like. They are angry that he beat the jet ski case. Now, they are claiming he did not pay his taxes. This is about settling a score, not collecting revenue.
The Gag Order and First Amendment Rights
Here is another alarming aspect. The State of Tennessee is now pushing for a gag order. I hope the judge has some common sense. The judge should tell the state prosecutor to get lost. We are now discussing constitutional rights. If the state wanted to parade this kid out, they made a choice. They arrested him. They put his mugshot on the internet. They did all of that publicly.
Consequently, they should be ready to accept the consequences. They must be willing to deal with him talking to his audience. Furthermore, they must accept his audience showing up in mass. Voters likely elected the prosecutor in Tennessee, just like in other places. In my opinion, this prosecutor is a certified idiot.
The reason I say that is simple logic. Think about what Cody can do. I will tell you what I would do. If a prosecutor was coming after me or screwing with me, I would retaliate legally and politically. I would take some of my money. Then, I would fund your opponent. I would get you out of that office. They are poking a bear with massive influence.
Government Stupidity and Overreach
Now, they are trying to step on his normal rights. They are interfering with his ability to operate his business. But it goes further. Now they want to step on his First Amendment rights for real. I just do not get it. I do not understand how these government officials can be this stupid. They are creating a massive public relations disaster for themselves.
I did not want to be on here talking all day about this. However, it was something I had to talk about. I love his content. I watch his content regularly. In fact, I ran into him a couple of times at different car events. One was a truck event in a parking lot in Indiana a few years back. This was probably before he was where he is at now.
He was always a respectful kid. I say “kid” because he is twenty years younger than me. But he has built a respectable business. Moreover, he has gone about it the right way. There are other people in this YouTube space that do not do it the right way. They do not pay their taxes. In contrast, he is running a legitimate business. You would think the State of Tennessee would want more people in the state like that.
Conclusion and Call to Action
Instead, they are going after him over a Ferrari. They are chasing twenty-something grand. They should miss me with that logic. I want to know what you guys think about this in the comments. I highly recommend you go watch the original video from Cody over at WhistlinDiesel. Also, watch the update video. Go watch those and then come back here.
We might do something to support him. Maybe we will buy a ton of the mugshot merch. Perhaps I will give it away here on the channel. Alternatively, we could donate money to his legal defense fund. If all of us who have the means do not back the guys facing these situations, we all lose. It is vital that we stand together against overreach.
Let me know what you guys think in the comment section down below. Give the video a big thumbs up if you like what I do. Meanwhile, do not forget about our own giveaways. Our Ram 1500 and Ram 2500 giveaways are still going on. I will put a link in the description for those. I also want to give a shout-out to Goodies Popcorn and OBD Tech for sponsoring both of those trucks. Thank you very much for watching. Stay petty, my friends.
