Special agents and technicians with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) went to Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk’s office on Friday, according to NewsChannel5. Funk is currently under investigation for wiretapping concerns.
BREAKING: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents descend upon Nashville DA offices as investigation continues https://t.co/3sD7z1LI0n
— Phil Williams (@NC5PhilWilliams) March 24, 2023
NewsChannel 5 reported that a group of TBI agents was seen going in and out of Funk’s offices in downtown Nashville as technicians with the agency were using a device “designed to detect illicit eavesdropping signals.”
In an email statement to NewsChannel 5, TBI spokesperson Josh DeVine confirmed “TBI special agents were present” at Funk’s office, “working in an official capacity.”
“We are not able, at this time, to speak to the nature or scope of efforts at this location. While we understand the public’s desire for information, we must — at the same time — maintain confidentiality for the purpose of investigative integrity. At this time, we have no further information to provide,” DeVine added, according to NewsChannel 5.
The presence of TBI agents at Funk’s office comes more than a month after The Tennessee Star reported that Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti launched a criminal probe into the district attorney’s office.
The criminal probe was launched after reports revealed that listening devices capable of picking up conversations of employees and visitors without prior warning were installed in areas around the Nashville District Attorney’s Office.
As part of the investigation, Funk must preserve all evidence “regarding the purchase, installation, maintenance, and operation of recording devices,” as well as the audio recordings and any communications about them.
While Funk has insisted that the listening devices are a “necessary part of office security,” legal experts have told The Star that the devices could violate state and federal wiretapping laws.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Background Photo “Nashville City Hall” by Luckiewiki. CC BY-SA 4.0.
