TN Speaker Secretly Lives In Home Outside District

Popular Information reports:

Tennessee Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) secretly bought a home in Nashville for nearly $600,000 in September 2021 through an anonymous trust, Popular Information has learned. The revelation raises serious new questions about whether Sexton can legally represent Crossville, which is nearly two hours from Nashville. If Sexton is not a “qualified voter” in Crossville, he is ineligible to represent Crossville under Article II, Section 5a of the Tennessee Constitution.

Last week, in response to Popular Information’s reporting, Sexton admitted that he and his family lives in Nashville — even though the legislature is only in session for four months. Sexton went to considerable lengths to obscure his purchase of his home in Nashville. He established an anonymous trust, the Beccani Trust, to buy the property. Cameron Sexton’s name does not appear anywhere on the documents memorializing the sale and the mortgage.

Read the full article.

13. Things get worse for @CSexton25. Members of the legislature who live more than 50 miles from Nashville are entitled to a much larger per diem ($313/day) when the legislature is in session or when they are conducting official business in Nashville.

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) April 13, 2023

14. Sexton has takes the larger per diem, which is pegged to the cost of a hotel room in Nashville, even though he owns a home in Nashville.

On the forms, Sexton claims a roundtrip commute of 236 miles.

He’s claimed $92,071 in per diem expenses since 2021. pic.twitter.com/BnoqsydkKp

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) April 13, 2023

15. Sexton is charging taxpayers for this commute, even though he lives just 6 miles from the capitol.

The excessive per diem expenses are likely enough to cover the cost of his mortgage.

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) April 13, 2023