Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov / townofsmyrna.org / murfreesborotn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
State Representative Robert Stevens (R-Smyrna-District 13) refiled a campaign finance complaint made against two local mayors and a political action committee after it was initially dismissed by state officials.
The complaint was originally made in a January 25 letter sent to the registry by Stevens. The complaint alleges that Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland broke campaign finance laws by giving $7500 to Tennesseans for Greater Accountability, a political action committee, in November 2022.
Stevens alleges that the PAC then gave a $7500 donation to the campaign of Smyrna Mayor Mary Esther Reed, thus allowing McFarland to get around the law against donating more than $1600 to a candidate.
The registry voted to dismiss the initial complaint because it was not a signed, sworn statement.
According to registry member Paige Burcham Dennis, “it has no business being heard by our committee.”
Bill Young, executive director for the registry, noted that state law requires that complaints about mayors should be made to the local District Attorney General, who can open an investigation. In Rutherford County, that would be District Attorney General Jennings Jones.
Stevens argued that he has submitted non-sworn complaints in the past. He also felt the registry should handle this one because it also involved a PAC. He noted a previous complaint in 2019 that was handled by the registry involving former Rutherford County Bill Ketron.
Mayor Reed believes the complaint was made out of spite after she was a member of the Smyrna Town Council that pushed out a referendum on March 5 asking if they should eliminate the local General Sessions Court. The judge in that court is Brittany Stevens, the sister of Representative Stevens.
“I believe Representative Stevens is trying to use his position as state representative to weaponize a state agency against me and others because of a personal vendetta,” Reed stated.
Stevens also included complaints against McFarland, alleging that he received other donations that violated the legally allowable amounts.
