NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents and technicians descended upon the offices of District Attorney General Glenn Funk on Friday as part of an on-going criminal investigation into the operations of the DA's office.
About a dozen TBI personnel were seen going in and out of Funk's offices in downtown Nashville. Technicians were seen using a device that, according to the manufacturer, is "designed to detect illicit eavesdropping signals."
NewsChannel 5 Investigates first spotted agents around the offices at 3 p.m. At 8:35 p.m., TBI personnel were still seen entering the building.
TBI spokesperson Josh DeVine was tight-lipped about the operation.
UPDATE: 8:35 p.m. - and TBI still working inside Nashville DA Glenn Funk’s offices. https://t.co/skhIUYCsPC pic.twitter.com/AH95VWcx5v
— Phil Williams (@NC5PhilWilliams) March 25, 2023
"We can confirm TBI special agents were present today at 222 2nd Avenue North, Nashville — which includes the Office of the District Attorney General — working in an official capacity," DeVine said in an email statement.
"We are not able, at this time, to speak to the nature or scope of efforts at this location. While we understand the public’s desire for information, we must — at the same time — maintain confidentiality for the purpose of investigative integrity. At this time, we have no further information to provide."
DeVine declined to say whether the activity reflected a consensual search or was the result of a search warrant issued by a judge.
Late Friday, Funk's office issued a statement.
“We extended an invitation to the TBI and the Attorney General’s Office several weeks ago to come inspect our office security system," Funk said in the statement.
"We are pleased they are finally here and we expect their investigation will find nothing inappropriate, much less illegal.”
Last month, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti sent a letter to the Nashville Democrat, notifying him that his office was the subject of a criminal investigation and demanding the preservation of certain evidence.
While not precluding other areas of concern, the letter detailed a specific interest by Skrmetti's office into whether anyone on Funk's team violated the state's wiretapping statute by installing listening devices in and around the DA's office in downtown Nashville. The existence of those devices was first revealed byNewsChannel 5 Investigates.
Skrmetti's notice came the day after NewsChannel 5 revealed that Funk's team had installed cameras with microphones in areas around the DA's office capable of picking up conversations of employees and visitors who are not warned about the audio monitoring.
Funk has denied any violation of federal or state wiretapping laws, arguing that individuals coming to their offices have no expectation of privacy and comparing the cameras to Ring doorbell cameras commonly used at individuals' residences.
In addition to the wiretapping concerns, NewsChannel 5 Investigates has also revealed:
- Funk paid a part-time employee $75,000 per year with little evidence of what that man did for the money.Evidence uncovered by NewsChannel 5 Investigates appeared to conflict with timesheets that the employee submitted for the money.
- Employees of the DA's office used government resources and worked on Funk's re-election campaign last spring, in some cases taking the time off only after NewsChannel 5 began investigating.
- Photos and emails appeared to show office resources being used to investigate Funk's political opponents.
Do you have information for our investigation? Email us: investigate@newschannel5.com
Previous stories: