TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Aug 4, 2025

The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance has rejected a $2,500 settlement offer from the Civic Engagement Forum to resolve a complaint involving unregistered ads it ran against Rep. Michele Reneau, R-Signal Mountain, during her 2024 primary race. Registry Chair Tom Lawless said the fine was too low, noting political operatives should be held accountable for violating campaign laws. According to Tennessee Lookout, the group admits it should have registered as a political committee and filed expenditure reports. It proposed the offer "to settle the matter and avoid further costs and uncertainty." The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office determined the Civic Engagement Forum and a second group, Citizen Engagement Forum, shared identical content opposing Reneau and likely were connected though the group denies any connection.