Nashville Mayor Recommended Bodyguard's Daughter For New Law Job

NASHVILLE, TN -- Nashville Mayor Megan Barry vouched for the daughter of her bodyguard, with whom she had an affair, for a newly created job in Metro's law department five months after her inauguration.

According to The Tennessean, Barry recommended Macy Amos, the 26-year-old daughter of Sgt. Rob Forrest, for a job in the city's legal department. It was the first new position in that department in two years and no other candidates were considered. Amos was hired.

Barry admitted to an affair with Forrest hours after his retirement from the Metro Nashville Police Department was official last week. Though questions have been raised about the amount of travel and overtime Forrest incurred as part of his official duties while he was also in a relationship with Barry, the mayor's office has repeatedly insisted that nothing illegal took place and that the affair was a personal rather than professional failure.

Though the mayor has given a variety of answers as to when the affair with Forrest began - she told The Tennessean last week it began in the spring of 2016, told NewsChannel 5 it began "soon" after she became mayor in September 2015 and said at a press conference it began "several months" after her inauguration - her spokesman told The Tennessean "Mayor Barry was not having an affair with Sgt. Forrest when Macy Amos was interviewed, hired, or started working for Metro."

Metro Law Director Jon Cooper told T0he Tennessean it was his decision to hire Amos and that she did indeed come highly recommended by Barry and others. Amos, a Belmont College of Law graduate, interned in the law department under mayors Bill Purcell and Karl Dean.

"Macy had interned with both Mayor Purcell and Mayor Dean, and had essentially been around Metro government her entire life," Cooper told the paper. "In addition, I have never interviewed anyone who wanted to be an attorney with Metro legal more than Macy. In fact she made it clear ... that this was her 'dream job.' When this particular position became available, Macy was the logical choice."

Barry, who worked as an ethics and compliance officer prior to her election as mayor, signed an executive order in February 2016, which specifically says it applies to the mayor and her staff in addition to all other Metro departments, that "each employee of the Metropolitan Government shall avoid any action ... which might result in, or create the appearance of using a public office for private gain; giving preferential treatment to any person;... losing complete independence or impartiality; (or) affecting adversely the confidence of the public in the integrity of the Metropolitan Government."

Photo via Office of the Mayor