Registered Metro lobbyists put $200,000 into local politics during 2023 according to disclosures filed with the city last week. Donation patterns show major spending from a few prominent lobbyists, who scattered thousands of dollars across races for mayor, vice mayor and Metro Council, often backing multiple candidates vying for the same position.
Amazon lobbyist Michelle Gaskin Brown reported $67,500 in total political spending, the highest amount from any individual filing. She spread $12,500 between 15 council candidates in August and September, all of whom had already won election at the time of her donations. Another $55,000 went to three local PACs. Brown did not respond to the Scene's request for comment.
Sam Reed ($22,100), James Weaver ($16,200), Baylor Bone Swindell ($15,450) and Joe Hall ($15,300) topped the next-highest class of donors. All have renewed lobbyist registrations for 2024. Mike Terry, Stephen Susano, Quan Poole, Will Cheek, Mark Cate, Shawn Henry, David Kleinfelter, Alex Dickerson, Dave Cooley and Rachel Blackhurst all disclosed more than $1,000 in total contributions.
Lobbyists favored winners. Freddie O’Connell, considered a longshot candidate for mayor throughout 2022 and early 2023, received a bushel of cash from lobbyists after advancing to the runoff in August. (His conservative opponent in the runoff, Alice Rolli, received a scant $550 from a single source.) Councilmember At-Large Olivia Hill received almost all of her lobbyist haul in October, a month after she won her election. Several other members scored big checks in the days and weeks following successful elections.
The same donor crowd sank money into five specific losers: Jeff Yarbro, Matt Wiltshire, Jim Shulman, Jeff Syracuse and Russ Pulley, who collectively received nearly $40,000 in reported contributions. Lobbyists disclosed just $200 in total donations to Angie Henderson, who narrowly beat Shulman in the race for vice mayor.
Last year’s successful push for a new Titans stadium and unsuccessful NASCAR effort revealed the critical role that lobbyists play in influencing city government for their clients. Currently, anyone paid to influence legislative or administrative action must register with the city and adhere to a somewhat blurry city ethics code updated in 2020 by then-Councilmember Kathleen Murphy. In an initial version of her update, Murphy sought to outlaw campaign donations from lobbyists altogether.
