Money Trail Exposed: Commissioner Thornton Blows the Whistle on PAC Ties to City and County Officials in the $100M More for Memphis Scandal
By Investigative Team Shelby County Observer, January 8, 2025
Shelby County Commissioner Brittany Thornton
MEMPHIS, TN — In a moment of stark honesty at the December 16, 2024, Shelby County Commission meeting, Commissioner Brittany Thornton pierced through the veneer of decorum that has long shielded Memphis politics. She directed an unflinching question to representatives from School Seed, the nonprofit tied to Seeding Success and its political arm, Tennessee Prosperity PAC
“What the public needs to know is that the C4 arm of Seeding Success is called Tennessee Prospers. I’m going to ask School Seed if you could disclose how many of us are funded by the PAC that is Tennessee Prospers on both the city and county side. I know for a fact that I am.”
Though silence met her challenge in the room, investigative efforts by the Shelby County Observer have filled the void, revealing the full extent of Tennessee Prospers’ financial reach into both city and county governments. Thornton, alongside Commissioner Henri Brooks, stood as the only two commissioners to openly admit receiving funding from Tennessee Prosperity PAC, a political arm of Seeding Success. But Thornton’s courage in transparency cast a harsh light on her colleagues. Records reveal that Tennessee Prospers, acting as a political arm of Seeding Success, strategically financed campaigns for key decision-makers. Below are the elected officials who never admitted during County Commissioners meetings or City Council meetings to receiving campaign funding from Tennessee Prosperity PAC.
Shelby County Commissioners
The PAC-Funded Power Play-
Shelby County Commissioners:
-
- Commissioner Whaley: $8,300
- Commissioner Wright: $8,300
- Commissioner Ford Jr.: $8,300
- Commissioner Morrison: $8,300
- Commissioner Mills: $8,300
- Commissioner Avant: $8,300
- Commissioner Sugarmon: $4,000
Memphis City Council
Memphis City Council Members:
- Councilman Smiley Jr.: $2,500
- Councilwoman Easter-Thomas: $2,500
- Councilwoman Green: $5,000
- Councilman Spinosa: $2,500
- Councilwoman White: $2,500
- Councilman Carlisle: $2,500
- Councilman Canale: $2,500
Thornton’s admission that her own campaign benefited from Tennessee Prospers funding stood out as a rare act of transparency. She questioned the ethical implications of such contributions, particularly given the ordinance at the center of this controversy:
“When you get down into the nitty-gritty, you’re talking about a hundred million to three hundred million dollars. And I’ve been back home for ten years, and I can just say that when it comes to these sizable amounts of monies, honest things just don’t happen. We have to vet this process because it is too big of a money trail for us to follow.”
The Fraudulent Ordinance That Exposed a City
The “More for Memphis” ordinance—a piece of legislation purportedly aimed at fostering public-private partnerships—boasted $100 million in “secured” funding. But upon closer inspection, that claim crumbles under scrutiny. Investigative journalist Joe B. Kent, working with concerned citizens, uncovered that no financial documentation exists to substantiate the “secured” funds.
The ordinance’s first City Council reading, on November 12, 2024, revealed an orchestrated conspiracy. All council members present agreed to co-sponsor the ordinance without hesitation. The transcript from the meeting reads:
Chair Michalyn Easter-Thomas: “Colleagues, without any objection, does anyone object to everyone being added as a co-sponsor? All right, so let the record reflect this is going to be sponsored by the entire Memphis City Council. Let’s go ahead and get a voice vote. All those in favor?
All: Aye.
Chair: Any opposed? All right, the ayes have it. Tell Shelby County that they need to go ahead and get it done this week.”
The chair, Easter-Thomas, who received $2,500 from Tennessee Prosperity PAC, directed Shelby County officials to expedite the ordinance’s approval, betraying an unsettling confidence that no opposition would materialize.
Legal and Ethical Failures
This financial entanglement and procedural misconduct reveal violations of Tennessee state law:
- T.C.A. § 8-50-501: Prohibits public officials from participating in decisions where they have financial conflicts of interest. By voting on the ordinance without recusal, council members breached this statute.
- T.C.A. § 2-10-310: Bars elected officials from engaging in activities that present even the appearance of impropriety.
- T.C.A. § 39-16-402: Criminalizes using public office for personal or financial gain. The alignment between PAC donations and legislative actions raises serious concerns about corruption.
- T.C.A. § 39-16-403: Prohibits official oppression, including actions that suppress opposition or misuse public resources.
Councilman Ford Canale’s conduct during the ordinance’s second reading exemplifies these breaches. Initially, the ordinance failed to secure enough votes, prompting Canale to “correct” his abstention to a “yes,” tipping the scales in favor of the ordinance. However, Memphis City Council Rules of Procedure explicitly prohibit vote changes that alter the outcome, making this action illegal.
Conspiracy In Plain Sight
City Council Chair Easter-Thomas’ directive to “tell Shelby County that they need to go ahead and get it done this week” highlights the arrogance of those behind the ordinance. They did not anticipate resistance from citizens or scrutiny from investigative journalists.
Commissioner Thornton’s observation was pointed:
“What we’re talking about is following the monies and actually vetting out something that is way bigger than what we’re talking about today. They’re talking about the ability for grassroots candidates to be able to get into these seats because these PACs are maxing out our campaigns.”
Her words underscore the systemic impact of PAC funding, where political influence is bought and sold, leaving citizens at the mercy of corrupt governance.
Will Accountability Prevail?
While Thornton and Commissioner Henri Brooks are the only officials to admit their funding ties to Tennessee Prospers, their colleagues’ silence speaks volumes. Public trust hangs by a thread as Memphis faces a moment of reckoning.
The fraudulent nature of the “More for Memphis” ordinance, coupled with the financial ties of its advocates, demands judicial intervention. With the Department of Justice already condemning systemic constitutional abuses in Memphis governance, citizens are left asking: will the Court act where others have failed?
For now, Memphis stands as a testament to the dangers of unchecked power and the corrosive influence of money in politics.
*Special Note of Correction: Commissioner Morrison emailed the Shelby County Observer that she returned the funds back to Tennessee Prosperity PAC. Per her email on January 8, 2025 -“ Per accountant, “we did receive and deposit the check on 04/11/2022 – we issued a check to refund the money on 05/20/22, and the check for $8,300.00 cleared the bank on 06/07/22.”
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