NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee Congressman John Rose has called upon U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn to release all documents relating to a confidential Senate ethics investigation of her office last year.
The request follows NewsChannel 5's revelation of the ethics probe that focused on whether official Senate resources were used in Blackburn's political campaigns — accusations that could be considered both unethical and illegal.
You can read NewsChannel 5's original report on the ethics investigation here.
Rose, a Cookeville Republican who is competing against Blackburn for the GOP nomination to be Tennessee's next governor, made the request in a letter to the Brentwood senator. Rose's campaign first provided the letter to NewsChannel 5 Investigates.
"Because your office has stated that the matter has been resolved, I believe the public would benefit from understanding how the Committee reached its conclusion," Rose told Blackburn in the letter. "Transparency regarding the Committee's final disposition would help strengthen public confidence in both your office and the Senate's ethics process."
In response to NewsChannel 5's questions, Blackburn's Senate office did not dispute the accuracy of the reporting about the ethics probe, saying: "The Senate Ethics Committee completed its review and resolved this matter with our office’s full cooperation."
Both Blackburn's Senate office and her gubernatorial campaign ignored NewsChannel 5's request that she voluntarily release all communications with the ethics committee to show what investigators found and how her office responded to the allegations.
Previous ethics complaints
Experts say the Senate Ethics Committee is notoriously opaque in how it disposes of ethical complaints against sitting members of the upper chamber of Congress.
"The problem with having an ethics committee that does not allow the public to know what is happening with investigations is that it diminishes trust in government because you can have allegations that the public is aware of, but then there's no resolution to know whether or not the member was held accountable for anything that they may have done wrong," said Kedric Payne, general counsel and vice president for the non-partisan Campaign Legal Center (CLC).
Blackburn herself has been the focus of two other ethics complaints over the past five years.
Last year, the CLC asked the committee to investigate whether Blackburn and seven other U.S. senators "used their legislative power to advance their personal financial interests in violation of Senate rules."
The eight Republican lawmakers voted for a provision that would allow them to personally sue the federal government for millions of dollars in response to special prosecutor Jack Smith's office having accessed their cell phone data as part of the investigation of President Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Five years ago, a progressive group filed an ethics complaint over allegations that Blackburn had flashed her congressional pin to a U.S. Capitol Police officer in order to help one of her aides avoid a traffic citation.
It is not clear how any of those complaints were resolved.
Below is the text of Rose's letter to the senator:
Dear Senator Blackburn:
I am writing concerning serious allegations regarding you and a 2025 U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics investigation. It is your duty to the citizens of Tennessee that you immediately release, or authorize the public release of the Senate Ethics Committee’s final disposition regarding its inquiry into your Senate office, including all information related to that investigation.
As reported by local Tennessee news station, NewsChannel 5, the Senate Ethics Committee conducted an inquiry last year into allegations concerning the potential use of taxpayer-funded Senate resources for political campaign activities. Your office stated that the Committee completed its review and resolved the matter following your full cooperation; however, the Committee's findings and the basis for its resolution have not been made public.
Because your office has stated that the matter has been resolved, I believe the public would benefit from understanding how the Committee reached its conclusion. Transparency regarding the Committee's final disposition would help strengthen public confidence in both your office and the Senate's ethics process.
Accordingly, I respectfully request that you voluntarily release, or authorize the Senate Ethics Committee to release the Committee's closing letter, final determination, and all other documents relating to the inquiry to the fullest extent permitted under Senate rules, so that the public may better understand the circumstances surrounding the investigation.
Thank you for your consideration of this request. I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your response.