Tennessee education commissioner cleared after repaying travel expenses

(The Center Square) – The Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance determined it did not need to further investigate alleged violations of state ethics rules against Department of Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds repaid the expenses in question.

But Rep. Caleb Hemmer, D-Nashville, believes the commission inquiry made it clear that “Reynolds violated state policy when she accepted two paid out-of-state trips to education conferences.”

Reynolds traveled to events sponsored by ExcellnEd, her former employer, and Hemmer said “Reynolds took the trips despite the fact that Tennessee law prohibits such trips and gifts from a group that employs a lobbyist in the state.”

The commission said the need to address the matters was disappointing but there was insufficient value in pursuing the claims further after Reynolds repaid the expenses.

Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance Executive Director William E. Young added that the commission staff is recommended all of the governor’s cabinet members complete annual ethics training and that it continue to stress the importance of seeking guidance from the commission and its staff prior to events or circumstances that could violate the law.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee reportedly recently traveled to Marco Island, Florida, to speak at a conference hosted by Alliance Defending Freedom with the organization paying the expenses, the Tennessean reported .

“Based on the outcome of this case and the media reports that Gov. Lee took a similar trip from an employer of a lobbyist, I will be seeking an Attorney General’s opinion to get further clarification on this issue,” Hemmer wrote. “Additionally, I am working with our legislative attorneys and the House Ethics Counsel to update our ethics statute so employers of lobbyists can’t use separate affiliated entities to fund travel and skirt our current ethics laws.”