NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s Governor Bill Lee has reimbursed approximately $1,900 for expenses related to a conference after receiving a ruling from ethics officials indicating that his travel arrangements were not appropriate.
The Tennessee Ethics Commission made this ruling public on Tuesday, determining that accepting funds for his travel from an external organization contravened state legislation, which prohibits officials like the governor from accepting gifts from lobbyists or their employers in any form. Governor Lee had sought clarity from the commission following scrutiny of his trip to Florida in July.
According to reports from local news, Lee was the keynote speaker at a gathering hosted by the Alliance Defending Freedom in Marco Island, Florida, and this organization financed his trip. This conservative Christian legal advocacy organization operates as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, with a companion 501(c)4 entity known as ADF Action, which does have a registered lobbyist in Tennessee.
After the Ethics Commission issued its opinion, Lee’s communication director, Elizabeth Lane Johnson, confirmed that the expenses had been settled in accordance with the newly provided guidelines related to his visit to the resort destination located on Florida’s southwestern Gulf Coast.
Johnson stated, “We solicited the Bureau for clarification regarding their interpretation of this ambiguous law and appreciate their response.”
Lee’s administration contended that the Alliance Defending Freedom does not employ a lobbyist in Tennessee, though ADF Action does. They maintained that the two entities are distinct and operate independently. However, the commission concluded that the groups are “closely related and intertwined.” They noted that the lobbyist for ADF Action also works for the Alliance Defending Freedom and attended the conference where Lee was the speaker. The connection is further emphasized by a “shared services agreement” between the two organizations, which includes provisions for sharing and reimbursing services, although they did not share this document with the Ethics Commission for review.
The findings led the commission to classify the travel expenses as an indirect gift, prohibited under state law. They commended Lee for his proactive approach in seeking an advisory opinion and instructed him to make the reimbursement.
The commission’s opinion expressed concern that allowing the payment to go uncontested would create a significant loophole in ethics laws concerning gifts, potentially permitting related groups that lobby the state to inappropriately reward Tennessee officials, thereby nullifying the ban on indirect gifts. They voiced that such a development could diminish public trust in governmental operations.
According to the ethics opinion, ADF Action promotes various public policies, including those concerning religious freedom, freedom of speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life and marriage.
Echoing support for the Ethics Commission’s decision, Democratic Representative Caleb Hemmer from Nashville remarked that this reinforces that no one, including the governor, is above the law. He expressed disappointment over the circumstances that led to this situation and hopes this advisory opinion will deter lobbyist organizations from providing such unethical trips to influence the administration.
This year, the Alliance Defending Freedom was instrumental in backing legislation that mandatorily requires parental consent for a range of activities in educational settings, including for nonemergency medical and mental health services.
