Search Results for: barry forrest

Mayor Megan Barry and Her Communications Director Try to Control Story of Extramarital Affair Using Exclusive Interview with ‘Fair’ Media

Chris Alto

Prior to Mayor Megan Barry’s 7 p.m. press conference Wednesday, which can be viewed in full here, Phil Williams from News Channel 5 was granted an exclusive interview with Barry to break the story of Barry’s extramarital affair. In his own interview on Channel 5’s MorningLine with Nick Beres, Williams explained how and why he was granted the exclusive interview: Williams: I put in the request I believe Friday and I was very straightforward with the Mayor’s spokesperson. You know I knew that they would know why I was asking because my source or sources you know, were incredible. Beres: Had indicated to you that there may have been something going on between the Mayor and her head of security. Williams: Exactly and to the point that I had no doubt. And so I really encouraged the Mayor’s office she needs to sit down answer the questions, go ahead and get all this information out as soon as possible. You know just come clean. Beres went on to state that Williams was “probably the first one to put it to her and she probably also knew Phil Williams will be fair.” Regarding the conduct of his interview, Williams noted that…

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District Attorney Glenn Funk Requests TBI Investigate Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Affair

Christina Botteri

Fallout from Wednesday’s bombshell admission by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry that she carried on a years-long affair with the head of her security detail, Rob Forrest, continues. Serious questions as to the taxpayer funds that Barry may have funneled to Forrest in the form of overseas trips and overtime payments has triggered District Attorney Glenn Funk to ask the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to look into the matter to determine if there was–and the extent to which there may have been– any criminal wrongdoing by Metro Nashville’s chief executive. “District Attorney Glenn Funk has asked TBI Director Mark Gwyn to investigate whether Mayor Megan Barry and/or others, including Sgt. Rob Forrest, violated any criminal law including misappropriation of public funds and official misconduct,” Funk spokesman Steve Hayslip told The Tennessean Thursday morning. “As with any TBI investigation, agents will collect any and all relevant evidence and interviews and, in turn, submit investigative findings to the district attorney general for his further review and consideration,” TBI spokesman Josh DeVine confirmed to The Tennessean. Meanwhile, Rob Forrest’s wife, through her attorney, requested the former security chief’s cell phone and its contents be held and preserved by the Metro Nashville Police Department. MNPD spokesperson Kris…

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Mayor Megan Barry and Security Chief Lover Traveled to Athens, Greece Alone on Metro Nashville Taxpayer Funds

Tennessee Star Staff

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and her security chief, Rob Forrest, traveled alone together to a conference in Greece in September, several Middle Tennessee media outlets reported on Wednesday. Forrest and Barry were alone in Athens, Greece for seveb days, from September 12 to September 18, 2017 attending the Athens Democracy Forum & 100RC City Leaders Advisory Committee Meeting, according to documents released by the Mayor’s Office. During this time, Forrest was paid by the taxpayers of Metro Nashville/Davidson County to provide security for Mayor Barry. Forrest’s travel and lodging expenses were paid for by Metro Nashville/Davidson County. It is not clear whether taxpayers or a private foundation paid for Mayor Barry’s travel and lodging for the Athens, Greece trip. “Documents released by her office show that from January 2017 until present, over $30,000 taxpayer dollars were spent on Barry and Sgt. Forrest’s travel expenses. Barry took 30 trips in total, 7 of which were personal to visit her son or take vacation with friends, while 9 were with Sgt. Forrest alone, including a trip to Greece, reportedly for the Athens Democracy Forum,” WKRN reported. “During 2017, travel records show Forrest traveled with the mayor to San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Denver,…

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Judson Phillips Commentary: Megan Barry Must Resign as Mayor of Nashville

Tennessee Star Staff

by Judson Phillips   On Wednesday evening, the rumors that had been percolating through downtown Nashville all day were finally shown to be true. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry admitted that she had an extramarital affair. But it was not just any extramarital affair. She was having an affair with a Nashville employee who was paid to protect her. Metro police sergeant Rob Forrest was assigned to protect the Mayor and traveled with her extensively. According to media reports, Barry traveled with Forrest at least nine times alone. According to other media reports, in the last two years alone, Forrest made $135,000 in overtime. That overtime is in addition to his regular salary and for the trips he took with the Mayor on the taxpayer’s dime. Neither Barry or Forrest are giving details, such as the time frame of the affair, presumably on the advice of their lawyers. Until there is evidence to the contrary, sane people have to assume they were having their affair while he was on duty and they were traveling together. Megan Barry used tax dollars to help pay for her affair. And she had that affair with someone who works for the city. All of this…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Dodges Responsibility As Elected Official on Affair, Denies ‘Giving Women’s Rights a Bad Smell’

Jason M. Reynolds

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry dodged repeated questions at a televised press conference Wednesday night on whether her extra-marital affair with her chief bodyguard, a city employee, was hypocritical as a champion of women’s rights. She also seemed to acknowledge she only came out because the news was breaking. “I am embarrassed and I am sad and I am sorry for all the pain I caused my family and his family, and I know that God will forgive me, but I know Nashville doesn’t have to,” Barry said. She added she hopes she can earn back people’s trust. Earlier in the day, in an exclusive interview with NewsChannel 5 Investigates, Barry insisted that she has not misused taxpayer funds as part of the relationship with Metro Police Sergeant Rob Forrest, NewsChannel 5’s Phill Williams reported on Wednesday. Forrest resigned — the term being used is retirement after 31 years with the police department. Barry said he gave notice on Jan. 17. During the press conference, Barry was asked more than once about the professional aspect of having an affair with a subordinate, especially in terms of women’s rights. The point was raised that if a man were in her position, he…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s Head of Security Resigns Abruptly

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The Metro Nashville Police Department confirmed with The Nashville Scene the head of Mayor Megan Barry’s security team, Sergeant Rob Forrest, has resigned as of late today. Metro Council Budget and Finance Committee Chair Tanaka Vercher further confirmed with The Scene that the mayor’s office “plans to issue a statement this afternoon.” Forrest is a 30-year veteran of the MNPD, and served on the security details of past mayors Bill Purcell and Karl Dean before being tapped to head Barry’s security team. He also supervises Hate Crime Investigations, the Crime Stoppers program, and security for visiting dignitaries. He is married with a grown daughter, Macy, who is an attorney in the Metro Legal Department.   Developing…  

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2018 Tennessee Pork of the Year Award Voting Gets Underway

Chris Butler

The Beacon Center of Tennessee, a Nashville-based right-of-center think tank, this week announced finalists for its 2018 Tennessee Pork of the Year Award. The winner gets top billing in Beacon’s yearly Pork Report. The report catalogs the year’s worst instances of government waste, fraud, and abuse in Tennessee. As was the case in prior years, people may go online and vote on what they consider the most foolish example. This year, Beacon staff members offered four options. The first example, as explained in a YouTube video, concerns former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and her extra-marital affair with her former security guard. “Clearly there is no better example of the Pork of the Year than a mayor who everyone thought would go on to be a U.S. senator, maybe even president,” said Beacon Center President Justin Owen. “She has now fallen in disgrace, not even serving in office anymore because she thought it was a good idea to take taxpayer money and give her chief of security overtime pay and to have an affair with him and to travel the world with him and to travel across the world to places like Greece and France, all on your dime.” As Owen…

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John McCain Has Died

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John McCain

by Robert Donachie   Sen. John McCain of Arizona passed away at his home in Arizona on Saturday evening, putting an end to a nearly six-decade-long career in public service. The 81-year-old senator ultimately succumbed to a battle with a highly malignant form of brain cancer, known as glioblastoma. Fewer than 5 percent of patients live beyond five years of the diagnosis, with a median survival rate of only 18 months. The same form of cancer claimed the lives of former Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Beau Biden, the late son of former Vice President Joe Biden. McCain started treatment shortly after his diagnosis in July 2017, splitting his time between Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland and the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Despite undergoing aggressive rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, the senator managed to fulfill his day-to-day obligations in the Senate until December, providing a loud and prominent voice during both the health care and tax reform debates in 2017. Early Life The son and grandson of decorated U.S. Navy admirals, John Sidney McCain III was born Aug. 29, 1936 at the Coco Solo Naval Station in Panama. His father’s career forced the family to move frequently throughout his childhood, but…

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Election Day: Nashville Finally Votes for a New Mayor Today

Tennessee Star Staff
David Briley and Carol Swain

Voters in Nashville/Davidson County go to the polls today to elect a new mayor to serve out the remaining one year and three months of the term of former Mayor Megan Barry, who resigned in disgrace on March 6 after pleading guilty to a felony earlier that day. If none of the 13 candidates on the ballot receive more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff between the two candidates who receive the highest vote totals will be held on June 28. Though Acting Mayor David Briley, who was sworn in on March 6, the day disgraced former Mayor Megan Barry resigned after pleading guilty to a felony earlier in the day, is considered the front runner, this special mayoral election has been so unusual anything could happen today. The long odyssey that shocked Nashville and caused the need for today’s special election began when former Mayor Barry admitted at a press conference on January 31 that she had conducted an almost two year long affair with her bodyguard, former Metro Nashville Police Department Sergeant Rob Forrest. After five weeks of investigations, stonewalling, and lurid details, Barry finally and mercifully resigned on March 6. Though she pleaded guilty to…

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Stunningly Low Turnout of Just 194 on Fifth Day of Early Voting Suggests Big Trouble for Status Quo in Nashville Mayoral Special Election

Tennessee Star Staff

The fifth day of early voting in Nashville’s special mayoral election on Wednesday saw another stunningly low turnout–only 194 residents of Nashville/Davidson County cast their ballots, bringing the five day early voting total to an anemic 1,039. After five full days of early voting, less than one-third of one percent of the active registered voters in Nashville/Davidson County (which is slightly more than 360,000) have cast their ballots in the May 24 special mayoral election to select a mayor who will serve out the remaining one year and three months of disgraced former Mayor Megan Barry’s term. Barry resigned on March 6, the same day she pleaded guilty to a felony theft charge related to her two year long affair with her bodyguard, former Metro Nashville Police Department Sgt. Rob Forrest. The anemic turnout levels spells big trouble for the campaign of Acting Mayor David Briley. First, it confirms that voters find him an uninspiring candidate. Second, it indicates that voters are likely burned out on politics, after they turned out in droves–about 123,000 total voters went to the polls–to decisively reject the $9 billion transit plan Briley endorsed, 64 percent to 36 percent. Finally, and perhaps more importantly, it…

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Acting Mayor Briley ‘Doesn’t Have Any Comment’ on Carol Swain’s Call for Resignation of Rich Riebeling, Metro Nashville Official at Center of Financial Scandals

Tennessee Star Staff
Rich Riebeling w Acting Mayor Briley

Acting Mayor of Nashville David Briley has no comment on election day rival Carol Swain’s call for Metro Nashville Government’s Chief Operating Officer Rich Riebeling to resign. “Mayor Briley doesn’t have any comment,” a spokesperson for the mayor’s office told The Tennessee Star late Sunday in response to a request for comment on Swain’s call Friday for Riebeling’s resignation, in light of the $7 million federal funding scandal that originated in 2010 and 2011 when Riebeling served as director of finance in former Mayor Karl Dean’s administration. Two polls conducted prior to the May 1 transit referendum put Briley in first place in the May 24 special mayoral election in which Nashville/Davidson County voters will select a mayor to complete the remaining one year and three months in the term of disgraced former Mayor Megan Barry, who resigned on March 6, the same day she plead guilty to a felony. Both polls showed Swain in a distant second. Briley has stumbled badly in recent weeks, however. His first misstep came when he backed the $9 billion transit plan introduced by Barry before her March resignation. Voters in Nashville/Davidson County soundly rejected that Barry-Briley plan on Tuesday by a 64 percent 36…

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Mayoral Candidate Carol Swain Calls For Immediate Resignation of Metro Nashville Chief Operating Officer Rich Riebeling After $7 Million Funding Scandal

Tennessee Star Staff

Mayoral candidate Carol Swain called for the immediate resignation of Metro Nashville Chief Operating Officer Rich Riebeling on Friday. Earlier in the day, WSMV broke the story that Metro Nashville Government used $7 million in federal funding received in 2010 and 2011 that was supposed to be dedicated to flood relief to build the Ascend Amphitheater. Riebeling was the finance director for Metro Nashville at the time. “The voters of Davidson County are tired of broken promises, underfunded schools, and cronyism that rewards those at the top. Riebeling has been in Metro government since 2007 and served as finance director under Karl Dean and COO under Megan Barry and David Briley,” the Swain campaign said in a statement released late Friday. “For too long Metro government has been squandering the taxpayer funds of hard working Nashvillians,” Swain said in the statement. “Today’s revelation of the misappropriation of federal HUD flood relief funds is just another example of the corruption that is plaguing City Hall and the rest of Metropolitan government. As finance director of the city, Reibeling was either complicit in this act or ignorant of it. He can delegate authority, but he cannot delegate responsibility,” she continued. “Riebeling has…

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Nashville Mayoral Candidate Carol Swain Is ‘Pleased That Erica Gilmore Changed Her Mind’ to Oppose the ‘Transit Boondoggle’

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Erica Gilmore (left) and Carol Swain

On the heels of At-Large Metro Nashville Council member, mayoral candidate, and progressive Erica Gilmore’s bombshell announcement Monday morning that she no longer supports “Let’s Move Nashville,” the $9 billion dollar transit plan proposal on the ballot before Nashville voters on May 1, fellow mayoral candidate, conservative Carol M. Swain lauded the decision, saying she was “very pleased that Erica Gilmore has changed her mind” and will now vote against the costly – and controversial – measure. “I am very pleased that Erica Gilmore has changed her mind from supporting the Barry-Briley Transit Boondoggle to joining me and others in seeing the wisdom in opposing it,” Swain said in a statement, adding: I am voting NO. I am confident that as Nashvillians look more closely at this costly scheme that won’t repair our roads or relieve our traffic congestion, they will come to the right answer, just like my friend Erica has done. Swain and Gilmore – along with nine other candidates – are running to be the next Mayor of Nashville in the upcoming special election to replace disgraced former mayor Megan Barry. Barry resigned in early March after it was learned she used taxpayer monies and the resources of…

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Game On: Erica Gilmore’s Entry Into Special Election for Mayor of Nashville Means Front Runner David Briley Not a Shoo-In

Tennessee Star Staff
Erica Gilmore runs for Nashville Mayor

Nashville Metro Council Member At-Large Erica Gilmore’s announcement on Wednesday that she is a candidate for Mayor of Nashville in the special mayoral election was greeted with a polite but terse acknowledgement from the campaign of the only other credible candidate currently in the race, Acting Mayor David Briley. “We welcome Councilwoman Gilmore to the race,” was all Hannah Paramore, Briley’s campaign treasurer, had to say about Gilmore in a statement issued after her announcement. Paramore went on to tout Briley’s qualifications for the job he temporarily holds, but wants to make more permanent: In just a few short weeks, David Briley has brought focus to the job of managing the city, tackling challenges and making progress on opportunities that will benefit all of Nashville. He has delivered a steady, guiding hand when it was needed to regain public confidence. David Briley is the right person to lead our city, and I am confident that the widespread support that is rapidly forming behind David will result in his winning the special election.” Briley is considered the front runner in the race, thanks in part to the backing of much of the Nashville business community, and his greater ability to raise money. Few political observers…

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Briley Promises More of the Same Support for ‘Progressive’ Politics, Including $9 Billion Transit Plan

Jason M. Reynolds

Megan Barry, the public face of the proposed $9 billion light rail transit plan may be gone from office, but don’t expect the issue to die. The Metro Nashville Democratic mayor resigned in disgrace March 6 after pleading guilty to felony charges following the revelation of her extra-marital affair with her chief bodyguard, former police Sgt. Rob Forrest. The Tennessean reports that new Mayor David Briley has also been a staunch supporter of the light rail transit plan, which is set for a May 1 referendum. The newspaper calls him a progressive liberal Democrat who has long wanted to be mayor. The newspaper says, “In the weeks ahead, he will take the torch on Barry’s May 1 transit referendum on raising four taxes to pay for a $5.4 billion transit plan with light rail.” The Tennessean uses the $5.4 billion estimate, the figure transit supporters like to throw around. NewsChannel 5 reported that after Briley was sworn in, he said he plans to hold a series of town hall meetings to talk about a variety of issues — including transit, which he called his first priority. “It’s the most important thing that is confronting our city right now and I’m committed to working…

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David Briley Sworn In As Mayor of Nashville

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David Briley was sworn in as the eighth mayor of Metro Nashville/Davidson County at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, 54 and a half years after his grandfather, Beverly Briley, was sworn in as the first mayor of consolidated Metro Nashville/Davidson County in 1963. As Vice Mayor of Nashville, the position to which he was elected in 2015, David Briley was in line to become mayor in the event of the resignation or death of the elected mayor under terms of the Metro Nashville/Davidson County Charter, which, ironically, his grandfather had a hand in crafting. Former Mayor Megan Barry resigned in disgrace earlier on Tuesday after pleading guilty to felony theft of property charges in the morning. A special election will be held in August to select a mayor who will serve the remaining year of former Mayor Barry’s term. “The ceremony took place in the Metro Council Chambers where Briley had presided as Vice Mayor and President of the Metro Council since his election in August 2015,” WSMV reported. “The acting mayor said he does not plan to travel with a police security detail and he plans to drive himself to and from work,” WKRN reported, a marked contrast to his…

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Former Metro Lawyers Hired as Outside Counsel Say Metro Board of Ethics Has No Jurisdiction to Address Violations of the Mayor’s Executive Order on Ethics

Chris Alto

On Wednesday, Klein Bussell, the law firm retained by the Metro Legal Department to evaluate an ethics complaint filed against the Mayor one week after she admitted to her extramarital affair, concluded that the Metro Board of Ethical Conduct, “lacks jurisdiction to examine alleged violations of Metropolitan Government executive orders.” The report was crafted by three of the firm’s partners, all of whom worked in the Metro Legal Department under previous Democratic administrations. Saul Solomon was Director of Law for the City of Nashville from 2012 to 2015 under former Mayor Karl Dean. Kevin C. Klein worked as an attorney in the Metro Legal Department from 2003 to 2012, first under former Mayor Bill Purcell, and subsequently under former Mayor Dean, as his bio at the Klein Bussell website explains: In 2003, Kevin came to work for then-Director of Law Karl Dean at the Nashville Department of Law. He spent the next nine years in the trenches, investigating claims, conducting discovery, taking depositions, trying cases, and briefing and arguing appeals. During that time, Kevin got dozens, if not hundreds, of cases dismissed before trial with no payment to the plaintiff, won numerous jury and bench trials, and successfully briefed and…

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‘We Love Our Mayor’ Billboards Taken Down After Buyer Refuses to Disclose Identity

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Three digital billboards along Nashville’s I-24 near downtown reading simply, “We love our mayor” were quietly removed from rotation Friday, February 2 after the buyer refused to disclose their identity. The billboards appeared one day after embattled Mayor Megan Barry admitted to her years-long affair with SGT Rob Forrest, her bodyguard. Outfront Media’s senior director of communications, Carly Zipp, told The Tennessean that the reason for their removal was due to a lack of “proper attribution,” which Tennessee Law – and company policy – require for political advertisements: Zipp said the agency that facilitated the billboard purchase was San Francisco-based SF Media Communications Inc. But she said the media company did not disclose their client. Zipp did not comment when asked how Outfront Media became aware of the problem or why the billboard was allowed to go up in the first place. SF Media Consultants has a history working in the music industry, one of Nashville’s staple brands. According to its website, the firm has done advertising for Big Machine Records, Capitol Records, EMI, and Universal Music Group as well as big-name artists such as Taylor Swift, Garth Brooks, Lady Antebellum and Florida Georgia Line. Lauren Anderson, senior vice president…

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Commentary: And There Are Some Questions The Tennessean Doesn’t Even Want to Ask

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Tennessean columnist Alex Hubbard noted in a column over the weekend that “Some Questions Matter More Than Others in Megan Barry Affair.”  He’s right, and many of the questions he posed are actually among those that deserve a clear and honest answer from Mayor Barry. However, there are a number of other “non-ideological” questions that Hubbard either doesn’t want asked or answered. Perhaps there is an ideological basis for the questions that the liberal Tennessean prefers to ignore. First, Hubbard follows the lead of previous Tennessean editorial commentary in defini-tively stating that the current “public discussion surrounding sexual harassment does not apply here.” Really? Sexual harassment isn’t just about “consensual versus non-consensual” distinctions when it comes to sexual relationships in the workplace. A boss and subordinate may be perfectly happy with their secret affair, and the benefits that inure to the subordinate in terms of promotions, bonuses, and other work benefits. That may have been the case with Mayor Barry and Sgt. Forrester. But what about the other members of the security detail who didn’t benefit from the “consensual” relationship? Perhaps another officer passed on the flirtations of Mayor Barry, thereby denying himself the overtime and international travel that Sgt.…

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Tennessee Star Editor-in-Chief to Guest Host for Michael DelGiorno on WTN Today

Tennessee Star Staff

Tennessee Star Editor-in-chief Michael Patrick Leahy will be guest hosting for Michael DelGiorno on Nashville’s dominant talk radio station, WTN 99.7 FM, from 9 a.m. to noon today. The 9 a.m. hour will focus on the candidates in the race for the Republican nomination in the 6th Congressional District. State Rep. Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma) is the scheduled guest in the first half hour (see image left), and former Tennessee Chancery Court Judge Bob Corlew (see image below) is the scheduled guest for the second half hour. Former Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture John Rose was also invited for a separate interview, but was unable to make it due to scheduling issues. In the 10 a.m. hour, a new and surprising twist in the ongoing story about Mayor Megan Barry’s extramarital affair with bodyguard Sgt. Rob Forrest will be the topic of discussion in the first half hour. “You can’t make this stuff up,” Leahy said of the surprising new twist. The Star’s own Laura Baigert will provide an update on the 2018 session of the Tennessee General Assembly in the second half hour. In the 11 a.m. the pros and cons of  Mayor Barry’s $9.2 billion transit plan, which faces a May 1 public…

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Nashville Police Chief: Department Rules Don’t Penalize Affairs Between Security Detail and Person They Are Assigned to Protect

Chris Alto

During an extended interview, Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson indicated that he’s “not seeing anything that we would change” as far as rules, regulations or policies under which the police department operates despite Mayor Megan Barry’s public admission of committing two years of adultery with the head of her security detail, Sgt. Robert Forrest, while he was an employee of Metro’s police department. Police Chief Anderson appointed by then Mayor Karl Dean in 2010, accepts Mayor Barry’s characterization that her affair with Sgt. Forrest was strictly a personal matter. But Anderson makes it clear that he does not endorse people who work together having sexual relationships. He points out, however, that even if Sgt. Forrest had not “retired” and was still providing security for the Mayor, no specific rule or policy of the police department would have been violated. Current police department policy only prohibits personal relationships between supervisors and subordinates and would not extend to the sexual relationship between the Mayor and the security detail assigned to her office by the police department. According to Police Chief Anderson, Sgt. Forrest’s chain of command and direct supervisor is the Specialized Investigations Division (SID) but that Forrest’s day to day…

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NewsChannel 5: ‘Nashville Mayor Admits Affair with Police Bodyguard’

Tennessee Star Staff

Nashville’s NewsChannel 5 broke the story late Wednesday afternoon that Nashville Mayor Megan Barry has admitted to an extramarital affair with the former head of her security detail. “[I]n an exclusive interview with NewsChannel 5 Investigates, Barry insisted that she has not misused taxpayer funds as part of the relationship with Metro Police Sergeant Rob Forrest, NewsChannel 5’s Phill Williams reported in a broadcast that aired at 4:49 pm on Wednesday: Forrest unexpectedly retired Tuesday after 31 years with the Metro Nashville Police Department. “I’m very embarrassed, and I’m deeply ashamed, and I’m very sorry,” Barry said. “The affair was between two middle-aged consenting adults, and it was a mistake to do this. And I am deeply sorry.” She added, “I know God forgives, but the people of Nashville don’t have to — and I also want to ask for their forgiveness.” The 54-year-old mayor said the relationship with the 58-year-old sergeant began shortly after her election in September 2015.   Questions have been raised about how much Forrest was paid for overtime while guarding the mayor, and whether or not he worked all those overtime hours. A press conference is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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WSMV: ‘Questions Raised About Nashville Mayor’s Relationship With Officer in Charge of Security Detail’

Tennessee Star Staff

UPDATE 4:49 pm:  The Scene has confirmed that Barry administration staffers are confirming to council members that the mayor had a relationship with a member of her security detail and that she is not resigning. https://t.co/dpsHnZX2C6 — Nashville Scene (@NashvilleScene) January 31, 2018   WSMV is reporting that “The News 4 I-Team has uncovered questions of the relationship between Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and her head of security.” In a story that broke at 2:48 pm but added a significant update at 4:02 pm, WSMV reported: News 4 reported on Tuesday night that Sgt. Rob Forrest had abruptly resigned his position. The News 4 I-Team has heard from multiple sources – Metro Council members, former Council members and lawyers – that Forrest’s resignation from the police force after 31 years was tied to his relationship with Barry. News 4 contacted Penny Forrest, Rob Forrest’s wife, on Wednesday afternoon. She referred questions to her attorney. When asked whether her husband had a relationship with Barry, she responded, ‘You need to ask that question to Mayor Barry.” The News 4 I-Team has reached out to the Mayor’s office for several hours on Wednesday. The only response has been that she is set…

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