TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Mar 12, 2025

Former Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey of Germantown says he has received a pardon from President Donald Trump just two weeks after reporting to federal prison to serve a 21-month sentence for an illegal campaign finance scheme, The Tennessean reports. A federal grand jury indicted Kelsey in 2021 for a scheme related to his failed 2016 congressional bid. Prosecutors alleged he illegally funneled money from his state Senate campaign committee to his federal campaign. Kelsey pleaded guilty in 2022 and later unsuccessfully attempted to change his plea. He reported to federal prison in Kentucky last month after he was denied the final appeal.