September 25, 2006

Yet Another Bredesen Administration Official Caught In Ethics Mess

Yet another member of the Bredesen administration has been caugh in an ethical mess. WKRN's Trent Seibert reports that former state Rep. Matt Kisber, now Bredesen's Commissioner of Economic Development, helped arrange for more than $1 million loans for a company on which Kisber sat on the board of directors - and did so while Kisber was a lawmaker and chairman of the powerful state House Ways and Means Committee - and the loan was from Brenda McKenzie, a lobbyist with business in front of Kisber's committee. Siebert's blog has the documents here.

Seibert reports:

Not long before the time of the loan, Brenda McKenzie was lobbying Kisber's Ways and Means Committee on behalf of several healthcare companies trying to get favorable legislation passed through the Tennessee General Assembly.

Kisber never revealed the loans or the conflict-of-interest.

Add Kisber to the long list of Bredesen administration officials caught in ethically suspect situations.

Update: Terry Frank notes that Bredesen is defending Kisber, and tags Bredesen "Governor Whitewash." It's appropriate, especially when you recall the Bredesen administration shredded documents to protect an administration official accused of sexual harassment and didn't fire Deputy Gov. Dave Cooley, the guy at the epicenter of the campaign-donations-for-promotions scandal that rocked the Tennessee Highway Patrol.