An ex-Tennessee senator sentenced for illegal campaign finance charges, faces a state office ban, law license loss, and firearm surrender.

Former Tennessee senator, Brian Kelsey, has been handed a 21-month prison sentence after an unsuccessful attempt to withdraw his guilty plea in a case involving federal campaign finance charges.

According to an article published by Yahoo News, former Tennessee state senator Brian Kelsey, a Republican, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for federal campaign finance charges. The finance charges revolved around his attempt to divert campaign funds from his legislative position to support his unsuccessful 2016 congressional campaign.

The sentencing on the federal campaign finance charges took place in U.S. District Court in Nashville. Kelsey’s guilty plea came after initially claiming innocence and calling the case a “political witch hunt.”

He later pleaded guilty in November 2022. Kelsey’s request to reverse his guilty plea on federal campaign finance charges was denied in May.

His defense cited personal hardships, including his father’s terminal cancer and caring for newborn twins, as factors that influenced his decision to plead guilty to the finance charges.

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Co-defendant Joshua Smith, owner of a Nashville social club, cooperated with authorities and received five years of probation.

According to an article published by NBC News, Kelsey’s sentencing on the finance charges drew attention from friends and family present in court. He expressed remorse for his actions and acknowledged breaking the law.

Prosecutors initially sought 41 months in prison, characterizing Kelsey as a mastermind behind a campaign scheme violating finance regulations. Kelsey’s defense argued for a lighter sentence, emphasizing his limited remorse.

The allegations were related to illegal transfers of campaign funds, constituting the core of the finance charges, to a national political organization for Kelsey’s congressional campaign. Co-conspirators, including former state Rep. Jeremy Durham, cooperated with authorities, creating variations in their sentencing outcomes.

As a result of his conviction on finance charges, Kelsey faces a prohibition from seeking state office in Tennessee, the revocation of his law license, and a mandate to relinquish any firearms in his possession.

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