Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry launched her campaign for Tennessee’s 7th congressional district on Wednesday.
Read the full storyDisgraced Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Announces Her Bid for Congress
Tag: Nashville Mayor Megan Barry
Megan Barry, Who Had Adulterous Affair With Subordinate on Taxpayers’ Dime, Lands Job Teaching Women About Political Tribulations at Fisk University
Proving that politicians are adept at coming out ahead no matter what, disgraced former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry has landed a job — teaching women about the trials and tribulations of politics at Fisk University. Barry began teaching a “Women in Politics” class three weeks ago, Fox 17 News reporter Harriet Wallace said. On March 6, 2018, Barry resigned as the first female mayor of Nashville. She entered a conditional plea, or diversion, on felony theft of property over $10,000 with three years’ unsupervised probation and $11,000 in restitution, The Tennessee Star reported at the time. She was not convicted, so if she follows her requirements, she can have her record expunged after three years. The now ex-mayor, who was married, admitted to having an affair with her married bodyguard, Sgt. Rob. Forrest of the Metro Nashville Police Department, including times he was clocked in and was on overtime. Forrest earned $75,462 in overtime during the 2016-17 fiscal year. WSMV reported Fisk’s statement about Barry’s job: Megan Barry is currently teaching a spring semester class at Fisk University. As a University, we believe that Mrs. Barry can provide valuable insight into the role of women in public life. Several students have already expressed their appreciation…
Read the full storyMegan Barry Has Increased Size of Mayor’s Office Staff by 60 Percent
Nashville Mayor Megan Barry has increased the size of the Mayor’s Office staff from 22 in August 2015, the month before she was elected and sworn in to office, to 36 in February 2018. The Tennessee Star asked Sean Braisted, director of communications for the Mayor’s Office, to explain why Mayor Barry increased the size of her office staff by more than 60 percent during her two and a half years in office, but received no response. News of this massive increase in her personal entourage comes on the heels of revelations of her increased use of security personnel in contrast to her predecessors and the burgeoning scandal over her extramarital affair with Sgt. Rob Forrest, the former Metro Nashville Police Dept officer who headed her security detail until Jan. 31. It also highlights a growing concern about a lack of checks and balances and the failure to apply standard internal controls to financial and personnel operations within Metro Nashville Davidson County Government during Barry’s tenure. At least five other examples of these failures have come light in the month since Mayor Barry admitted to an extramarital affair with her former bodyguard. The so-called “computer glitch” in which for…
Read the full storyNewspaper: Tennessee Comptroller Joins Mayor Megan Barry Investigation
State auditors are investigating Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s affair with her chief bodyguard, a media outlet reports. The Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury is working with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on looking into Barry’s and Sgt. Rob Forrest’s affair, according to a story published by The Tennessean. The newspaper did not disclose its sources. The office investigates potential instances of misconduct by public officials and government bodies. If true, the comptroller’s involvement would make it at least the fourth government agency to investigate the years-long affair, the newspaper reports. One other investigating agency includes a special Metro Council committee, the likes of which has not been seen since 1974 during a land rezoning bribery scandal involving former council members. Comptroller’s office spokesman John Dunn told The Tennessean “alleged or suspected misuse of public dollars is something that the Comptroller’s office has the authority to investigate” but did not give additional comment. Barry’s lawyer, Jerry Martin, has asked that District Attorney Glenn Funk recuse himself from the investigation, citing an alleged conflict of interest. In other news, NewsChannel 5 reported that a white SUV Forrest used to drive Barry around made numerous early morning visits to Nashville City Cemetery. The…
Read the full storyTennessee’s American Muslim Advisory Council Board Member Shouts Down Police During Saturday Protest at UT Knoxville
Drost Kokoye, a founding and current board member of the American Muslim Advisory Council (AMAC), Tennessee’s most prominent Muslim organization, was caught on video using a bullhorn held to the faces of police and shouting them down for wearing riot gear while they were protecting protesters like Kokoye at UT Knoxville on Saturday. You can see Kokoye aggressively pushing her bullhorn towards the face of one police officer at the 2:22 mark of this video from WATE TV. The demonstration was organized by UT Knoxville’s Progressive Student Alliance to protest the university’s decision to allow Matthew Heimbach, leader of the Traditionalist Worker Party, to speak at UTK, the first stop on his campus speech tour. Heimbach’s group ascribes to white nationalist ideology. During Saturday’s UTK demonstration that devolved into a hate protest against the police, AMAC board member Drost Kokoye joined marchers delivering that message – “cops get the f*** off our campus (look for the pink hijab in the video below): “COPS GET THE F*** OFF OUR CAMPUS” Student-led protests at the University of Tennesee today against ‘police and nazis’ as Matthew Heimbach set to speak. pic.twitter.com/f7mBMC3uxF — Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) February 17, 2018 Kokoye posted this tweet about…
Read the full storyMetro Council To Investigate Mayor Megan Barry’s Affair With Chief Bodyguard
Nashville Metro Council voted Tuesday to create a committee to investigate Mayor Megan Barry’s affair with her bodyguard Sgt. Rob Forrest, WSMV reported. Councilwoman Tanaka Vercher proposed the resolution. The council has not taken such action since 1974 during a land rezoning bribery scandal involving former council members Morris Haddox and Jack Clariday, The Tennessean reported. The 30-7 vote will create a committee of three to seven council members to oversee the probe, focusing on travel and overtime expenses of Barry and Forrest, the newspaper said. Barry does not have the power to veto the action. The council is turning to an authority under the Metro Charter to hold investigations and hearings, The Tennessean said. The power includes the ability to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers and records pertinent to the investigation. Testimony will be under oath. Barry admitted to the affair on Jan. 31. District Attorney Glenn Funk asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to look into the matter to determine if there was any criminal wrongdoing in the form of overseas trips and overtime payments to Forrest.
Read the full storyTruth, Trust Are ‘Kryptonite’ To Barry, Metro Council In Promoting $9 Billion Transit Plan
In popular media, Superman fights for “truth, justice and the American way.” The superhero who is “faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive” is vulnerable to a substance known as Kryptonite. Those who back Nashville’s $9 billion transit system are facing their own version of Kryptonite: Trust. Even one prominent supporter now says he has some doubts. The uncertainty comes nearly a week following news that Metro Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, the face of the Let’s Move Nashville Transit Improvement Plan, had an adulterous, years-long affair with veteran police Sgt. Rob Forrest who was in charge of her security. Barry dodged her responsibilities as an elected official having an affair with an employee who resigned, while she kept her job, and it was revealed her affair violated her office’s mission statement of transparency and her own executive order that employees should be ethical and avoid conflicts of interest. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has been asked to investigate any potential breaking of the law, including “misappropriation of public funds and official misconduct,” District Attorney Glenn Funk spokesman Steve Hayslip told The Tennessean. The Metro Council voted Jan. 23 on a second reading of the plan to hide the…
Read the full storyWhat Happens if Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Resigns?
The scandal that has enveloped Nashville Mayor Megan Barry in the wake of her admission that she had a two year affair with the head of her security detail has many wondering how she can weather the storm. As more details emerge regarding the use of taxpayer funds for her travels with Sgt. Rob Forrest, including 9 trips where the two of them traveled alone, speculation increases that she may ultimately be forced to resign. If that happens, what happens next? A Barry resignation during the next six months would immediately elevate the current Vice Mayor to serving as acting Mayor pending a special election to fill the vacancy in the Mayor’s office. (If Mayor Barry doesn’t resign until a date within 12 months of the next election for Mayor, then there would NOT be a special election and the Vice Mayor would simply fill the role until the scheduled election occurs.) The Nashville Metro Charter specifics in Section 15.03 that: “There shall be held a special metropolitan election to fill a vacancy for the unexpired term in the office of mayor and in the office of district council member whenever such vacancy shall exist more than twelve (12) months…
Read the full storyDistrict Attorney Glenn Funk Requests TBI Investigate Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Affair
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…
Read the full storyNewsChannel 5: ‘Nashville Mayor Admits Affair with Police Bodyguard’
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.
Read the full storyNashville Mayor ‘Moonbeam’ Megan Barry Attacks President Trump in Speech on MLK Day
At an event billed to celebrate the life and times of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, Nashville Mayor “Moonbeam” Megan Barry went out of her way to blatantly accuse President Trump of racism. In a video clip posted by The Tennessean, Mayor Barry is seen onstage, bundled in black against the frigid afternoon. “You know, this week, we went from whose button is bigger, to a payoff.” After a short pause, Barry added, “And in between all of that was a whole lot of racism.” In the audio of the short video clip, the audience reaction – if there was any – is not picked up by the microphone system. Only few stray voices in the background can be heard as Mayor Barry nods in agreement with herself onstage. Moving on, she said, “And what we need is all of you in this org– audience to make sure you are standing up. And that starts with making sure our kids who are our DACA recipients get to stay here, and dream here and that’s all up to us.” The Tennessean abruptly ends the 32-second video before any ovation in reaction to Ms. Barry’s remarks can be heard from the audience. The left-leaning…
Read the full storyNashville Mayor Megan Barry Defends Mass Transit Plan, Raises Cost
Nashville Mayor Megan Barry defended her controversial mass transit plan Monday at a Rotary Club meeting, reports the Nashville Business Journal. And on Wednesday she raised the cost – from $5.2 billion to $5.4 billion. Barry’s plan has faced a growing chorus of critics who have questioned its costs and practicality. But in her speech to the Rotary Club’s Nashville chapter, Barry tried to dispel three myths she said critics have created about her proposal, which involves building a light rail network, improving and expanding bus service, and building an underground tunnel downtown. She wants Davidson County voters in May to approve four tax increases, including a sales tax hike, to help fund the project. The project’s price increase is the result of new plans to extend the Charlotte Avenue light rail corridor. Resources have already been found to cover the expense and the proposed tax increases won’t change, Barry said in a press release. Barry said Monday the three false ideas promoted by critics are that transit ridership is falling, Nashville doesn’t have the density to support light rail, and self-driving cars will eliminate the need for mass transit. Saying that it’s “disingenuous to dance on transit’s grave,” Barry pointed to…
Read the full storyDevelopment Proposal For Nashville’s Historic Fort Negley Park Includes Plans For Welfare Housing
The proposal accepted by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry to redevelop Fort Negley Park calls for affordable housing subsidized by government programs including tax credits and Section 8 vouchers. The plan by Cloud Hill Partnership has already drawn fierce opposition because of concerns about historic preservation. Located south of downtown, the land is home to a fort built during the Union occupation of Nashville during the Civil War and also includes Greer Stadium, where the Nashville Sounds minor league baseball team played until moving to a new stadium north of downtown in 2015. City officials have not yet entered into a formal agreement with Cloud Hill and negotiations for the public-private partnership are stalled pending a protest by a competing developer whose bid was turned down. In addition to affordable and workforce housing, Cloud Hill’s plan includes green space, creative spaces for artists, offices, and shops and restaurants. It also calls for preserving the fort and honoring and protecting history. The residential component includes plans for 294 apartments. They would include 87 studio, 68 one-bedroom, 119 two-bedroom and 20 three-bedroom apartments. At least 80 of the 294 apartments would be reserved as affordable units for those earning less than 50 percent of the…
Read the full storyMetro Nashville School Board Supports Metro Council’s Proposed ‘Sanctuary City’ Policy
The Metro Nashville school board is supporting Metro government’s proposed “sanctuary city” policy despite a growing chorus of opposition. The board sent a letter to the Metro Council this week encouraging passage of the ordinance, which was approved on a second reading Tuesday and will be up for a final vote next month. The ordinance would restrict local cooperation with federal immigration officials. “We celebrate the diversity in our schools and want them to be safe places for our students and families,” school board chair Anna Shepherd told The Tennessee Star Thursday. “Most of them are fleeing drug wars and/or civil wars and want better for their families just as our ancestors did.” Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, whose left-wing, open borders, pro-illegal immigrant political philosophy is in line with the ordinance, has worked closely with the Metro Nashville school board since she was elected in 2015. When the search for a new director of schools stalled in 2016, Barry asserted a leadership role in the search process that ended in the appointment of Shawn Joseph to that position in May 2016. In the letter to Metro Council sent on behalf of the board, Shepherd voiced concerns about illegal immigrant…
Read the full storyMetro Transit Authority CEO Steve Bland Asks Nashville Mayor Megan Barry for $85 Million Increase in Capital Budget
“The Metro Transit Authority asked Nashville Mayor Megan Barry for a 427 percent capital budget increase on Monday,” Fox 17 WZTV reports. MTA’s request for this quadrupling of its capital budget comes as the Tennessee General Assembly is debating Gov. Haslam’s IMPROVE Act proposal, which would increase gas taxes by 7 cents per gallon and diesel taxes by 12 cents per gallon. As The Tennessee Star reported earlier this week, in FY 2015-2016, highway user fees, primarily gas and diesel taxes, generated $1.2 billion in revenue for the State of Tennessee. $309 million of these highway user fees were given by the State of Tennessee to cities and counties for “transportation” projects: The Haslam administration has not, as of yet, presented evidence that all of the $309 million in highway user fee taxes sent to city and county governments for “transportation” projects is spent on road construction. “The money in the cities and counties column is their share of the collected taxes,” State Rep. Lynn asserted in her email to a constituent. It is at present unknown how much of these $309 million in highway user fee taxes sent to city and county government is spent on projects such as parks,…
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