Election board levies $135,000 penalty on Rutherford County Mayor Ketron
The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance hit Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron with a $135,000 civil penalty Wednesday as he took responsibility for nearly $300,000 in questionable campaign contributions and expenditures targeted in three state audits.
Board members voted 4-0 to levy a new penalty on the former state senator for violations connected to his Senate, Quest PAC and mayoral accounts but dismissed $80,000 in previous penalties for numerous late filings. He also will be able to start a payment plan and will be eligible to run for re-election in 2022.
Under state law, the Registry has required other members to pay all of their penalties in the past to become eligible to qualify for election. But Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance Executive Director Bill Young said he would consider a payment plan as “payment.” The board’s attorney said as long as Ketron is in “good standing” he would be able to run for re-election.
Ketron accepted the blame but laid the problems on his willingness to trust his daughter, Kelsey, to run his insurance business and handle his political accounts. The former state senator also pointed out he was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer and fought that as he returned to the Senate in 2016, as well as the death of his mother.
Read more: https://tennesseelookout.com/2021/04/15/election-board-levies-135000-penalty-on-rutherford-county-mayor-ketron/