Image Credit: Rep. Aron Maberry / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
Freshman Representative Aron Maberry (R-Clarksville-District 68) has been cleared by the Tennessee Ethics Commission (TEC) after a local group accused him of several ethics violations, including a conflict of interest as Maberry also serves on the Clarksville Montgomery School Board (CMCSS).
A Montgomery County group comprised of current and former educators alleged Maberry violated the School Board Code of Ethics by supporting HB0793, which would have allowed the disenrollment of illegal students from public schools had it passed the legislature. Also in the filing were complaints of failure to uphold student rights, allowing partisan influence to affect his votes, undermining diversity, equity, and inclusion, and failure to prioritize student needs.
Maberry, who during his campaign was, “fully transparent about my service on the school board and my intention to serve out the remainder of my term,” if elected as State Representative, pushed for the hearing to be both expedited and public as he felt the complaint was without merit and “clearly politically motivated” as a “desperate stunt by woke local leftists”.
The six-member Ethics Commission voted unanimously to dismiss the complaint as there is no constitutional impediment in holding these two offices simultaneously, but went a step further when TEC members rebuked the complainants, even threatening legal action.
TEC Chairwoman Tammy White stated, “What concerns me greatly is that what this group [of complainants] has done has set a precedent for others, and I believe that would essentially weaponize the Ethics Commission for political purposes. If there was ever a reckless disregard, I believe it has been with [this] hearing.”
“It appears to be a colossal waste of time, that state’s resources and employees on something that should be handled at the ballot box. It appears to be something that has tried to misuse the Ethics Commission and what we oversee as a tool to make a headline in the newspaper,” said TEC member Duane Gilbert.
Other members echoed these sentiments and Chairwoman White sternly admonished the complainants that disagreeing with a legislator’s votes does not constitute an ethical violation. She also warned the accusers they could be in violation of Tennessee Code which allows for civil penalties for unsubstantiated complaints, though the commission ultimately decided not to proceed with a show-cause hearing against the group, according to The Tennessee Lookout.
Given the political composition of the committee, three Republicans and three Democrats, the 6-0 vote to dismiss and subsequent rebuke by multiple committee members seems even more impactful.
After the dismissal, Maberry posted on Facebook, “I appreciate the Ethics Commission’s prompt judgment confirming this complaint was nothing more than a desperate political stunt. This group weaponized the process for media attention. Their actions are an egregious misuse of taxpayer dollars, time, and agency resources for the sole purposes of humiliating me. I’m ready to move forward and stay focused on the important work I was elected to do.”
Maberry also informed The Tennessee Conservative that protests have since been organized at school board meetings and the Montgomery County Democratic Party is circulating a resolution calling for his resignation. The resolution cites concerns about the now-cleared accusations of conflict of interest, his lack of “support” for separation of church and state, the sponsorship of anti-DEI legislation, and his votes in favor for HB0793.
Rep. Maberry was the prime sponsor on two pieces of legislation that will dismantle DEI departments across the state and ensure hiring practices by state and local government entities are based solely on merit, both of which passed the General Assembly and are set to become law.
The Democrats are “urging him to immediately resign from the CMCSS School Board due to conflicts of interest regarding his ability to be a champion for every child in Montgomery County’s public school system and CMCSS employees.”
However, none of these accusations appear to have changed his determination or commitment to his elected offices. “This entire ordeal has been nothing more than a high-stakes pressure campaign designed to force me to resign so the Democrats can regain control of the school board. They have made it clear they don’t care what laws they break or whose name they smear. They believed that with enough pressure, I would walk away, thinking it wasn’t worth it. They were wrong. I will finish my term. Next year, District 7 on the school board will have an open seat, and I encourage anyone who wants to serve to step up and run,” Maberry told The Tennessee Conservative.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
