BillHobbs.com is a frequently updated blog of original reporting and commentary by Bill Hobbs, a longtime Nashville journalist and media relations adviser. I am currently serving as communications director for the Tennessee Republican Party, a job I began on Oct. 29, 2007.
TCPR Files Complaint Over Cooper Taking Nearly $100,000 in Campaign Funds for Personal Use
The Tennessee Center for Policy Research plans today to file a sworn complaint against state Sen. Jerry Cooper, D-Morrison, with the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance, asking the TREF to investigate whether Sen. Cooper illegally diverted nearly $100,000 in campaign funds to his personal account. During Sen. Cooper's recent bank fraud trial in Chattanooga Federal Court, an IRS agent testified that Cooper withdrew nearly $100,000 from his campaign fund between December 1999 and November 2001 and deposited it into his personal account. According to the TREF press release...
The exhibit shows Senator Cooper dipping into his campaign account and funneling money to his own account – slowly at first, but then ravenously. Indeed, in September and October of 2001 alone he moved $48,000 from his reelection account to the account he shares with his wife at Union Planters Bank.
In total, court records show, he deposited $95,004 of his campaign money into his own account. It appears there is no disclosure of this transfer in the records he filed with the Registry of Election Finance.
TCPR President Drew Johnson says the redirection of funds from a campaign account to a personal account "seems to be a flagrant violation of state campaign finance laws," and is asking the TREF to investigate Sen. Cooper’s use of his campaign funds between the years 1999 and 2007.
Comments Policy: Your comment is subject to deletion if it is off-topic or includes foul language or personal attack. Readers, please email me if you find comments that include egregious violations of this policy. Comments may not post immediately - do not post twice!
