Nashville Council Moves Forward With Investigation Of Mayor

NASHVILLE, TN -- Invoking a power no council has used in 44 years, the Metro Council voted 30-7 Tuesday to investigate travel and overtime spending connected to Mayor Megan Barry's affair with her now-retired security chief, veteran Metro Police officer Sgt. Rob Forrest.

Under the resolution, Vice Mayor David Briley will appoint a committee of three to seven councilmembers to lead the investigation into whether public money was used improperly by the mayor during the affair, which she admitted to last week. The admission raised questions if Barry and Forrest were using taxpayer-funded travel and overtime in furtherance of their affair.

This investigation is in addition to one undertaken by the TBI which was requested by District Attorney Glenn Funk. Barry has said she welcomes and will cooperate with any investigation.

Under the Metro Charter, the Metro Council, like many legislative bodies, has subpoena power. It can compel witnesses, who testify under oath, and the production of records. The council can seek a court order from Chancery Court forcing compliance with its subpoenas.

It's only the second time since Metroization that the council has invoked its power. In 1974, following an investigation in The Tennessean led by a reporter named Al Gore Jr. - yes, that one - the council investigated two of its own members for accepting bribes related to land rezoning.

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