Government Gangsters, Part 2: How Memphis Mayor Paul Young’s First Year Became One of the Most Corrupt in City History

By: Political Affairs Staff on March 9, 2025

 

MEMPHIS, TN — The term “Government Gangsters,” popularized by FBI Director Kash Patel in his compelling book with the same title, describes a network of corrupt politicians and their enablers who operate beyond accountability. As Patel warned about the “rise of misplaced power,” Memphis has become a textbook example. A little more than a year into his tenure, Mayor Paul Young’s administration has become synonymous with cronyism, mismanagement, and corruption, setting a new standard for political dysfunction in Memphis. From ethical lapses in grant funding to scheming against his own police officers, Young’s leadership has been defined by excuses over accountability, a pattern of rewarding political allies, and a disregard for transparency and public trust.

Memphis has long suffered from government corruption, but under Young’s administration, even the city’s own police officers and civil servants have been targeted in a bureaucratic power grab. At the same time, taxpayers have been forced to bankroll politically connected law firms, questionable grant allocations, and bloated infrastructure projects, all while Young insists that the real problem is public criticism, not his administration’s failures.

This is a government in chaos, and at the center of it all is Paul Young.

Attacking Memphis Police Officers: Mayor Young’s Power Play

At a time when Memphis desperately needs police assurances, Paul Young’s administration has been actively fighting its own police officers in court—and losing.

Illegal Rank Creation & The City’s Legal Defeat

• A Shelby County Circuit Court judge,  Judge Damita Dandridge ruled that Young’s administration violated its contract with the Memphis Police Association (MPA) by creating a new “Second Lieutenant” rank without union approval.
• Young’s response? Instead of accepting the ruling, the city announced plans to appeal—continuing to spend taxpayer money to fight against its own officers.

A City At War With Its Own Police Force

This move directly contradicts Young’s claims that his administration is working to improve public safety. Instead of addressing MPD’s real issues—like the Department of Justice’s damning report on civil rights violations and excessive force—Young’s administration is wasting city resources to fight officers in court over a rank the city created illegally.

Young’s actions prove that his administration is more focused on political control than real police reform.

 

Legal Cover-Ups: Taxpayer-Funded Law Firms to Block Public Records

At the same time Young is fighting the police union in court, his administration is also spending taxpayer dollars to keep the public from knowing how he is spending their money.

Young awarded a city contract to Reifers, Holmes & Peters LLC—a one-star-rated law firm—to fight public records requests that seek to expose which nonprofits and political allies have received millions in city grant funds.

Why is this alarming?

• Young’s administration is using taxpayer money to hide how it is allocating taxpayer money—a possible violation of Tennessee’s Open Records Act.
• His choice of a law firm with a poor reputation and alleged political connections raises serious ethical concerns about favoritism and misuse of public funds.
• This move mirrors tactics used in past Memphis corruption scandals—where officials used obscure legal maneuvers to prevent the public from knowing how their tax dollars were spent.

This is a blatant attempt to avoid scrutiny—and yet another sign that Young is protecting political insiders at the expense of public trust.

 

Beale Street Landing: A $43 Million Disaster

Memphis taxpayers have already seen millions wasted on failed infrastructure projects, but few are as blatant as the $43 million Beale Street Landing fiasco.

• The landing was supposed to boost tourism and become a vital riverfront asset. Instead, it has sat empty, with no docked cruise ships in over a year.
• Instead of admitting failure, Young’s administration is pouring another $11.2 million into “repairs”—even as the facility is vandalized and remains largely unused.
• The real issue? Poor planning, mismanagement, and complete lack of accountability.

Beale Street Landing is a textbook case of government waste—and Young has no plan to fix it beyond throwing more money at the problem.

 

Memphis’ Dangerous Roadways & Infrastructure Failures

Memphis is now ranked the most dangerous city in the U.S. for traffic fatalities per capita, yet Young’s administration has only recently launched a half-hearted Safety Action Plan.

• Residents complain about narrow, unsafe road designs that disproportionately impact Black neighborhoods, raising equity concerns about who gets safe streets and who doesn’t.
• Meanwhile, drainage failures and flooding continue to plague the city, yet Young’s administration has no clear strategy beyond vague promises.

Public frustration is growing, and Young’s administration seems more interested in public relations than real solutions.

 

March 5, 2025: Protesters March Against Young’s Failure to Address DOJ Report on MPD

The Department of Justice’s damning report on MPD outlined systemic discrimination, civil rights abuses, and excessive force.

Instead of accepting federal oversight, Young announced a city-controlled task force, which activists say is nothing more than a PR stunt.

• On March 5, 2025, protesters marched through Downtown Memphis demanding real accountability, not another task force designed to sweep the problem under the rug.
• Faith leaders, civil rights groups, and community organizers condemned Young’s refusal to enact meaningful reforms.

This protest was another sign that Young’s administration is more focused on appearances than real change.

 

Hiring Edmund Ford Jr. Despite FBI Investigation: A Case Study in Corruption

Young’s most inexcusable ethical lapse? Hiring Edmund Ford Jr. for a $82,766 taxpayer-funded job while knowing he was under federal investigation for corruption.

• Ford was already being investigated for allegedly funneling taxpayer grants to himself and his political allies.
• Instead of distancing himself, Young gave Ford a cushy city job—a clear conflict of interest and an insult to ethical governance.
• Only after Ford was federally indicted did Young place him on unpaid leave.

Why would any ethical leader hire someone under FBI investigation?

Young’s decision wasn’t about qualifications—it was about rewarding a political insider.

 

More for Memphis Scandal

The $100 million More for Memphis scandal revealed questionable ties between elected officials and the Tennessee Prosperity PAC, raising serious concerns about corruption. Yet Mayor Young has largely sidestepped the issue, failing to provide transparency. Critics argue his lack of direct leadership has enabled a culture of corruption within the Memphis City Council and other departments to fester unchecked.

 

The MAS Outbreak: A Microcosm of Dysfunction

The MAS crisis reveals the same troubling dynamics seen in other areas of city governance. Preventable mistakes led to a public health crisis, and instead of addressing the root causes, the mayor deflected with calls for public sympathy. Young’s claim that MAS is working with veterinary professionals to contain the outbreak fails to inspire confidence, particularly given the lack of transparency about what went wrong in the first place.

Just as concerning is the financial mismanagement surrounding MAS. The mayor’s office has yet to disclose whether the facility’s budget includes adequate resources for disease prevention protocols or emergency responses, raising questions about broader fiscal accountability in Memphis governance.

 

Mayor Paul Young’s Corrupt Consulting Scandal: Paying His Friend $486 Per Hour—Twice the Federal Limit

As if hiring corrupt political insiders and blocking public records wasn’t enough, Mayor Paul Young is now paying a personal friend an outrageous $486 per hour as a consultant—a rate that violates federal funding laws if federal dollars are involved.

This rate is two times higher than the federal Executive Level 2 pay limit for consultants receiving government funds. If even a portion of these payments comes from federal dollars, it is outright illegal.

 

The Outrageous Cost of Consultants Under Mayor Paul Young

Mayor Young has been using taxpayer funds and private backdoor deals to pay massively inflated rates to consultants across multiple city departments:

MATA (Memphis Area Transit Authority)

• Consulting firm TransPro produced a scathing report calling MATA’s financial practices “frivolous use of taxpayers’ dollars.”
• Despite that, Young hired TransPro executive, John Lewis, as interim CEO—at a rate of $486 per hour.
• The total cost for Lewis and other TransPro consultants exceeds $1 million—all while MATA struggles with deficits and service cuts.

 

The Illegal Federal Funding Violation: Three Times the Legal Limit

What’s the Law?

The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sets strict guidelines for consultant payments under federal funding:

• The maximum allowable rate for consultants using federal funds is $206.50 per hour (the Executive Level 2 pay limit for 2024).

How Mayor Young is Violating Federal Law

• Young is paying John Lewis $486 per hour—more than 2x the federal limit.
• If any federal dollars are used in these payments, they violate OMB regulations and federal law.
• Federal agencies could revoke Memphis’ grant funding and launch an investigation.

Where is the Money Coming From?

Young’s administration refuses to say whether federal funds are involved.

• If federal funds are used, Memphis is breaking the law.

Memphis Taxpayers are Getting Scammed—Again

Mayor Young’s consultant scandal is yet another example of his administration prioritizing political insiders and private connections over public service.

• At a time when Memphis residents are struggling with crime, failing schools, and crumbling infrastructure, Young is handing out million-dollar contracts to consultants.
• Instead of fixing the problems, he is funneling taxpayer funds into “consultants” with no accountability or transparency.
• If federal funding is involved, the city could face legal consequences and lose federal grants.

 

Memphis: A City in Crisis Under Paul Young

A little more than a year into his administration, Paul Young has already solidified himself as one of the most corrupt mayors in Memphis history.

• He’s actively fighting against his own police officers in court.
• He’s using taxpayer money to block public records requests.
• He’s allowing rampant infrastructure failures and financial mismanagement.
• He hired an official (Edmund Ford Jr.) while he was under federal investigation for corruption.
• His leadership failures are causing mass protests, wasteful spending, and eroding public trust. 
• He’s awarding lucrative contracts to political allies, including paying a consultant $486 per hour—two times the federal limit—while directing millions in non-competitive grants to insiders and overseeing mass euthanasia at the city animal shelter due to mismanagement.

Not a bad first 14 months for the mayor of one of the most corrupt blue cities in America.