MEMPHIS, Tenn. — I believe we have heard this story before. Tennessee lawmakers are exposed for running afoul of the law, leading to federal charges involving fraud and other crimes. In response, the legislature moves to strengthen ethics and campaign finance rules, mostly to convince themselves and the public that they are addressing the problems.
It happened well over a decade ago following the infamous 2005 Tennessee Waltz scandal that resulted in bribery and extortion charges against several legislators and landed many of them behind bars.
Now it’s happening again. Lawmakers are seeking to pass additional laws to crack down on ethics and campaign finance violations. It comes after one lawmaker, Republican Robin Smith, has already pleaded guilty to fraud charges involving a bogus consulting company that collected thousands of dollars from fellow Republicans under false pretenses. Smith has since resigned and is cooperating in the ongoing federal investigation. Onetime House Speaker and current Representative Glen Casada – along with his former chief of staff Cade Cothren – are implicated in the scandal, though they have not yet been charged.
Legislative leaders say the new laws are aimed at improving openness and accountability – two things that are sorely lacking in the legislature – despite the past scandals. With Tennessee Waltz, almost all of the offenders were Democrats. This time, they are all Republicans, which goes to show that graft and corruption – are bipartisan crimes.