Operation Rocky Top
Operation Rocky Top was an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation into political corruption in the Tennessee state government in the late 1980s.[1]
Code name
The code name for the investigation was derived from "Rocky Top", one of the state's official songs. Years later, another investigation of Tennessee public corruption was code-named Operation Tennessee Waltz, after another state song.
Investigation
Operation Rocky Top was launched in 1986 as an FBI and
A first-year member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, Randy McNally of Oak Ridge, became a secret participant in the investigation in 1986 after he reported to authorities that a bingo lobbyist had offered him bribes and had boasted about bribing other lawmakers. For the duration of the investigation McNally wore a wire and cultivated the trust of bingo lobbyists and other insiders so they would talk freely in front of him and offer him bribes. Ned McWherter, who was Speaker of the Tennessee House when the investigation began and who was elected Governor of Tennessee in 1986, also was praised by federal officials for cooperating with the investigation.[1]
Results
Operation Rocky Top became public in January 1989 when W.D. "Donnie" Walker, a one-time bingo regulator in the state government who later became a lobbyist,
The investigation resulted in more than 50 convictions
Two other targets of the investigation committed suicide before testifying, Tennessee Secretary of State
References
- ^ a b c d e Ronald Smothers, Tennessee Republicans See an Election Weapon in State's Bingo Scandal, The New York Times, January 28, 1990
- ^ a b c Tom Humphrey, Humphrey: Waltz -- Don't leave with those who bribed you, Knoxville News Sentinel (opinion column), July 22, 2007
- ^ Tom Humphrey, Mr. Sam Thomas Burnett, crafty, colorful, convicted former state lawmaker, dies, Knoxville News Sentinel, web-posted September 18, 2009
Sources
- Sandra Roberts, Before Tennessee Waltz, there was Rocky Top, The Tennessean, June 5, 2005.[dead link]