Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, argued that a proposed $60,000 grant to the Tennessee Justice Center undermines claims by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell that city funding for nonprofit organizations would not support immigration-related advocacy.
During a Wednesday appearance on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Pappert said the newly revealed advocacy efforts by the Tennessee Justice Center raise concerns about Metro Nashville’s proposed funding.
“I think this severely undermines O’Connell’s claim, the claim by his spokesman last week, or at least it suggests that the claim may not have been accurate,” Pappert said.
Pappert noted that Metro officials previously asserted funding for immigrant-focused nonprofits would not be used for advocacy or legal representation. However, he pointed to a recent letter from the Tennessee Justice Center urging the Tennessee Department of Health to withdraw guidance related to a new state law requiring verification of citizenship or lawful presence for certain public benefits.
“Now we know that another group that Metro Nashville wants to give $60,000 to, this is the Tennessee Justice Center — they’re engaged in advocacy right now,” Pappert said. “Before they even got the money from Mayor Freddie O’Connell, they have sent a letter from their top legal director urging the Tennessee Department of Health to, yes, drop this new directive.”
Discussing the possibility of future legal action, Pappert added, “The implication is, in my mind, that they’re going to sue.”
“So Mayor Freddie O’Connell wants to give $60,000 to an organization that is sending what I would personally consider a threatening email to the Tennessee state government — threatening lawsuits,” he added.
Pappert also questioned whether the grant effectively supports the broader mission of the organization.
“As a small business owner, I have to ask, if you had somebody say, ‘We’re going to give you $60,000 for free,’ does that not just mean that they support your general mission?,” he said.
Pappert further highlighted a separate $100,000 grant proposed for Alignment Nashville, which also holds a $1.5 million contract with Metro Nashville Public Schools to coordinate conferences and events, including the district’s annual principals retreat.
The Metro Nashville Council is expected to vote on O’Connell’s proposed budget on June 17.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Mayor Freddie O’Connell” by Olivia Hill.
O’Connell is a democrat.
democrats lie.