Lest thou be judged. Last week the Nashville Tennessean examined the campaign finance spending of Ethics Committee members set to determine whether or not Senator John Ford of Memphis who spent campaign funds on his daughter’s wedding was guilty of conduct unbecoming a state legislator. The newspaper discovered that Senator Douglas Henry, D-Nashville, and Senator Steve Southerland, R-Morristown, “largely spend their campaign money on signs, stickers, surveys” and other campaign-related materials. But that’s not the case with Ethics Committee chairman Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, who bought a used car with campaign funds and (as is often the case with used rides) paid for “repeated car repairs.” Senator Curtis Person, R-Memphis, bought hundreds of dollars worth of gifts and flowers, and Senator Joe Haynes, D-Goodlettsville, financed a trip to Boston. So it would appear that the Ford investigation has been less of an investigation and more like a celebrity roast. — Chris Davis
Plante: How It Looks
