A staffer tasked with handling financial payments for the House Democratic Caucus resigned Monday after Nashville TV station WSMV reported he wrote an unknown number of checks to himself and then cashed them.
That man, Derrick Tibbs, worked for State Rep. Karen Camper, D-Memphis, according to the station.
“He just called me and said, ‘Representative Camper, I just think it’s best that I resign. And just make restitution because you know I put you in a bad situation,'” Camper told the station Monday.
Rep. Mike Stewart, D-Nashville, alerted Camper late last week about checks written to Tibbs, WSMV reported.
The station went on to say such checks need two signatures — one from a lawmaker, the other from the House Caucus treasurer.
Stewart told WSMV he found his signature on checks payable to Tibbs, but he did not sign them.
“Stewart estimates Tibbs wrote checks to himself worth at least three thousand dollars,” WSMV reported.
“Stewart said once the internal investigation is complete, and if Tibbs is found to have committed a crime, he should be charged.
Tibbs did not respond to multiple calls and texts from the News4 I-Team.”
As The Tennessee Star reported last month, the Tennessee House Democratic Caucus elected Camper as House minority leader for the 111th General Assembly.
The Memphis politician is the first black elected as the House Democratic leader.
Camper replaces former Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh of Ripley, who left the state legislature in an unsuccessful gubernatorial run.
She has served in the House since 2008.
Camper defeated State Reps. Bo Mitchell (D-TN-50) of Nashville and Johnny Shaw (D-TN-80) of Bolivar for the job. Stewart, meanwhile, was unopposed in his re-election campaign as Democratic caucus chair. Democrats hold 26 of 99 seats in the Tennessee House of Representatives.
Camper’s website says she previously worked for 21 years as a U.S. Army intelligence officer, is owner of Key II Entertainment and worked for seven years as a substitute teacher.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Karen Camper” by Karen Camper.
[…] As The Tennessee Star reported last month, the man accused of the theft, Derrick Tibbs, worked for State Rep. Karen Camper, D-Memphis. […]
13%er, not surprised