Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy on Tuesday filed a lawsuit seeking to block new accountability laws, passed this year by the Tennessee General Assembly and recently signed by Governor Bill Lee, arguing his office is being unfairly targeted.
The lawsuit lays partial blame on top members of the Trump administration, who it claims instructed state lawmakers to “deal with” Mulroy.
Filed in Memphis Chancery Court, the 32-page lawsuit challenges the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF) Accountability Act, as well as the Audit and Pro Tem Act, also known as the attorney general audit bill, claiming both were passed at the behest of White House officials due to their political differences with Mulroy.
“On information and belief, state legislators have received private pressure from White House officials to ‘deal with’ District Attorney Mulroy,” the lawsuit claims, “including pressure specifically to pass the Audit and Pro Tem Act.”
Mulroy additionally pointed to Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, who also serves as homeland security advisor, and last year moved his family to a military base amid targeting of his home by protesters.
“Shortly after the passage of the Audit and Pro Tem Act and MSTF Accountability Act,” the lawsuit notes, “White House official Stephen Miller was honored with an official proclamation from Tennessee’s Speaker of the House of Representatives.”
Mulroy then referenced a post to social media by State House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville), who included a photograph of him with Miller.
“Proud to present [Miller] with a proclamation honoring our collaboration on Tennessee’s landmark immigration and public safety legislative package,” wrote Sexton. “Leaders like [President Donald Trump] know Tennessee is leading the way!”
Proud to present @StephenM with a proclamation honoring our collaboration on Tennessee’s landmark immigration and public safety legislative package. Great work of the @tnhousegop and @tnsenategop in protecting our citizens, our communities and our tax dollars. Leaders like… pic.twitter.com/1VNluSbVwq
— Speaker Cameron Sexton (@CSexton25) May 18, 2026
The lawsuit then alleges, “the White House and politicians in Washington, D.C. are focused on District Attorney Mulroy not for legitimate law enforcement reasons, but because of District Attorney Mulroy and Shelby County’s perceived political differences.”
While the lawsuit alleges that the General Assembly passed legislation targeting Mulroy at the behest of the Trump administration, the author of the accountability act has argued the district attorney represented a weak link to the MSTF.
“When I recently testified in front of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, I testified that our Soros-backed District Attorney Steve Mulroy was the weak link in the Memphis Safe Task Force’s efforts to #MakeMemphisMatter and clean up our crime,” wrote State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) last year.
Following his recent legislative accomplishments, Taylor is seeking the Republican nomination in Tennessee’s newly redrawn 9th Congressional District.
Responding to the lawsuit on social media, Taylor questioned, “What is Mulroy hiding?”
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Steve Mulroy” by Steve Mulroy.
