Curcio Disenfranchises Constituents By Abandoning Legislature Post To Become Lobbyist

Image Credit: Talbert Government Relations LLC

The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –

Less than six months prior to elections, Republican Representative Michael Curcio (Dickson-District 69) resigned his post in favor of a new position as a lobbyist, donating the majority of the funds left in his campaign finance account to his own PAC and leaving his constituents without an elected representative in the position until after the November elections.

According to the State’s Online Campaign Finance website, Curcio’s reported campaign contributions from the 2021 year end report totaled $49,350. He reported $45,897.26 in expenses leaving his account with an ending balance of $74,315.10.

For the first quarter of 2022, his campaign contributions were only reported as $100 but his expenditures were reported as $74,415.10 leaving his account with a zero balance.

The report shows that Curcio donated $57,704.80 on his remaining balance to the MGC PAC in his former district of Dickson on March 31st, 2022.

MGC PAC is short for Michael G. Curcio Political Action Committee.

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Around March 17th, Curcio announced he would not be seeking reelection via a social media statement on his now deleted Tennessee state rep accounts. 

Tennessee law requires that legislators in the General Assembly wait at least one year before they can start lobbying legislators or the Governor’s administration, but Curcio fast-tracked his movement to those activities by leaving his legislator position early.

Curcio is now an “Equity Partner” with the Talbert Government Relations lobbying firm that has been lobbying the Tennessee General Assembly in some capacity since 2005.

Curcio’s departure from his post left the burden of choosing an interim replacement for his post to the Dickson County Commission, effectively switching the seat from an elected position to a non-elected position until after the November elections.

The commission voted on Monday night to appoint Brian Ragan, a law firm partner at Reynolds, Potter, Ragan & Vandivort PLC, with an 11-1 vote in favor.

Ragan was chosen over another nominee, Martha Shepard, wife of former Democratic State Representative David Shepard.

Ragan currently serves as Dickson County Government’s attorney, a position he has held since 2006.  Ragan’s political affiliation is unclear at this time.

In the Republican Primary on August 4th, with early voting from July 15th through the 30th, four Republican candidates in District 69 will be on the ballot – Jeff Eby, Jody Barrett, Brian Johnson and Angela Redden.

About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative  ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career.  Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others.  He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History.  Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com