Tag: Michael Harris

Controversial Democratic Party Chairman in Shelby County Retains His Position, Despite Effort to Oust Him

Chris Butler

  Members of the Shelby County Democratic Party have reportedly chosen to continue to retain Michael Harris as chairman, despite his reported sketchy history with the law. This, after party members, met at a closed-door meeting Tuesday, according to The Daily Memphian. The website also reported Harris himself called for the meeting to settle once and for all the controversy over whether he should continue in that position. The vote to retain Harris was 18-9. “The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Harris’ law license in 2017 for five years retroactive to 2015,” according to The Daily Memphian. “His law license was suspended after he agreed to ethics charges brought by the state’s Board of Professional Responsibility that included lack of diligence and communication, excessive fees, improper termination, failure to expedite litigation, failure to perform services he was paid for, unauthorized practice of law, dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. Harris was also ordered to pay nine former clients a total of $22,975 in restitution.” But, according to The Memphis Commercial Appeal, “the movement to oust Harris is still alive.” This, according to Executive Committee member Julie Byrd Ashworth, who reportedly filed a grievance against Harris alongside two other…

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New Shelby County Democratic Party Chairman Harris Fights to Save His Position Amid Multiple Controversies

Jason M. Reynolds

  Michael Harris, who won election as the new Shelby County Democratic Party chairman in April, is already facing discontent in the ranks, with the politician calling a special meeting to save his position. The Daily Memphian on Monday said Harris is the second chairman of the party, which recently re-formed. Many long-standing executive committee members left, and new people, including Harris, entered the party. During a meeting last week, the Shelby County Democratic Party’s executive committee could have chosen to either take no action on Harris or could have scheduled a meeting to specifically consider the issue, the Daily Memphian said. However, Harris agreed to call the meeting himself within 20 days to resolve the matter. The meeting’s date has not been reported. State Rep. Lamar London (D-TN-91) and State Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-TN-29) once thought of running for Harris’ position but backed out, letting him run unopposed, the Daily Memphian said. Now, London is calling for unity ahead of the 2020 elections. Harris’ opponents are not backing down. They say that he filed for bankruptcy eight times, leading to the judge to rule he could not file again for five years, Local Memphis said. The Tennessee Star in…

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Michael Harris Says He Deserves to Be Shelby County Democratic Party Chair Despite His Law License Being Suspended

Jason M. Reynolds

Michael Harris, the new Shelby County Democratic Party chairman, says he supports unity a week after his controversial election what with revelations of his law license having been suspended, The Daily Memphian reports. A majority of the local Grass Roots Council voted for Harris on April 6; he was unopposed. His law license has been suspended since 2017 for ethical violations that include dishonesty, lack of diligence and communication, excessive fees, improper termination, failure to perform paid services and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. He is also repaying $22,975 to nine former clients, The Daily Memphian said. He spoke to The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast about why he deserves to be chair. “Absolutely I should be chair,” Harris said on The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast. “The requirements for being chair do not lie in the mistakes a person has made,” he said. “The skills and abilities and understanding of the organization are more important. The life experiences that shape us and give us perspective are more important. When we look at the world we live in, people make mistakes all the time.” The podcast is available here. Harris’ statement would seem to conflict with the Shelby County Democratic…

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Attorney with Reported History of Ethics Problems to Chair Shelby County Democratic Party

Chris Butler

State Rep. London Lamar, D-Memphis, won’t chair the Shelby County Democratic Party. Michael Harris, an attorney with a reported history of legal and other ethical problems will instead covet the position, according to The Daily Memphian. This, after a three-hour party convention this past weekend, according to the website. Officials suspended Harris’ law license in 2017 because of a number of ethics violations, including excessive fees, failure to perform services for which he was paid, unauthorized practice of law, dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice, The Daily Memphian reported. “Harris was also ordered as part of his plea to the misconduct allegations to pay $22,975 in restitution to nine former clients,” the website reported. “Harris, compliance and employee relations director at Advanced Primary Care LLC, began making his case to the group by asking ‘everyone who has made one mistake’ to raise their hands and asking everyone in the crowd to look around the room.” Harris reportedly told people at the convention that he made a mistake, but his “heart was in the right place.” “Harris said he still owes $1,832 in restitution plus fees connected to restoring his law license,” The Daily Memphian reported. “He also…

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