Federal Complaint Filed Against Tennessee State Rep. Mark Cochran Over Campaign Activity & County Employment – Currently In “Active Investigation”

Image Credit: Mark Cochran for State Representative / Facebook & Canva

***Note from The Tennessee Conservative – this press release posted here for informational purposes only.

Submitted Press Release –

A federal Hatch Act complaint has been submitted to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel involving Tennessee State Representative Mark Cochran, who currently serves House District 23 while also holding a compensated position with the McMinn County Mayor’s Office and has a status of “active and ongoing investigation.”

The complaint asks OSC to determine whether Cochran qualifies as a covered state or local employee under the Hatch Act due to his county employment and the county’s receipt and use of federal funds, including American Rescue Plan Act funding. The complaint alleges that Cochran’s county role includes administrative, coordination, and intergovernmental duties connected to federally funded county operations. 

The complaint also alleges that Cochran documented campaign-related activities, district visits, meetings, and appearances on his campaign Facebook page during standard county working hours. It further states that payroll records, leave records, job descriptions, supervisory structures, and ARPA fund allocations should be reviewed to determine whether Cochran engaged in prohibited partisan political activity while serving in a compensated county position. 

The Hatch Act restricts certain political activities by covered state and local employees whose principal employment is connected to federally financed programs. The complaint cites 5 U.S.C. § 1502(a)(3), which prohibits covered employees from using official authority or influence to affect the result of an election, and 5 U.S.C. § 1501(4), which defines covered state or local employees. 

The complaint requests that OSC investigate whether Cochran campaigned during compensated county work hours, review relevant county employment and funding records, and issue findings or recommend penalties if violations are substantiated. The complaint also asks OSC to protect the confidentiality of witnesses who may fear retaliation. 

The matter has been referred to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel for review. Public records and campaign-related social media posts were cited as exhibits in support of the complaint, including public employment listings, McMinn County Annual Financial Reports, and campaign Facebook posts documenting activity during standard duty hours. 

This complaint raises serious questions about the overlap between taxpayer-funded county employment, federally funded county operations, partisan campaign activity, and public accountability.