Channel 5 has a report on Jerry Cooper's appeal of the $120,000 fine meted out to him by the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance. More here.
Cooper was fined $120,000 for making at least 23 separate transfers of campaign funds to his personal accounts over a period of nearly two years--all in violation of Tennessee campaign finance laws.
The total Cooper converted from his campaign account to personal accounts was $95,000.
The video on the Channel 5 website shows an excerpt of the actual TREF meeting along with an interview of Cooper.
Cooper says he didn't attend the first TREF meeting when the $120,000 fine was imposed because he was "tired." Maybe. Or maybe he wanted to just wait and see if the TREF imposed a modest fine.
If TREF had imposed of fine of, say, $15,000, Cooper might have gladly paid it so he could walk away with a personal windfall of $80,000.
After all, it would be one heckuva deal to pay a mere $15,000 fine in return for being able to use $95,000 of contributor's money for personal living expenses.
When the $120,000 fine came down, however, Cooper had a sudden surge of energy. He was not too "tired" to appeal, and he even managed to scrape up enough energy to show up at the appeal!
Cooper's lawyer is claiming that a $14,000 fine is quite adequate.
Phil Williams, Channel 5's investigative reporter, points out that what Cooper's attorney wants is for the 23 separate checks written at 23 separate times over nearly a two-year period to be considered as just one (continuing) violation.
This plan, of course, would leave Cooper with a net profit of $81,000 from his multiple violations of campaign finance laws. $95,000 taken - $14,000 fine= $81,000 profit. That's a nifty reward for violating campaign finance laws.
The TREF agreed to postpone a decision on Cooper's appeal until it can request a legal opinion from the state attorney general as to the legality of the original $120,000 fine.
UT students--and others-- might be interested in the attorney general's opinion and the outcome of Cooper's appeal.
Cooper's attorney wants 23 separate checks written at 23 separate times-- over a period of nearly two years-- to be considered just one (continuing) campaign finance violation.
Maybe UT students who receive six separate parking tickets at six separate times--over a period of nearly two years-- should ask for the six tickets to be considered just one (continuing) parking violation!
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