Following the filing of an ethics complaint on Mayor Megan Barry, Metro's Board of Ethical Conduct has now set a meeting about the use of funds during her affair with her head of security, Rob Forrest.
The meeting was set Thursday following a report issued on behalf of the Department of Law recommending that there be a hearing looking into potential violations of Metro’s Standards of Conduct.
The initial complaint was filed on February 7 by a local group called “Community Oversight Now.”
It focused on Mayor Barry's affair and its potential impact her decision making regarding a community oversight board for the Metro Nashville Police Department.
Under Metro Code, the Metro director of law is required to look at the complaint and decide, if the allegations were true, would there be a violation of Metro’s Standards of Conduct. He’s required to issue a report to the Board of Ethical Conduct within 14 calendar days of receiving the complaint.
Metro's Department of Law decided to hire an outside law firm to review the matter to avoid any potential conflicts of interest. The law firm finished the report Wednesday.
The report dismisses some elements of the complaint for different reasons, but it recommends a hearing about Sgt. Forrest’s overtime:
“The allegation in the Complaint that Sgt. Forrest was paid 'excessive amounts of overtime,' if true, would give rise to a violation of the Metropolitan Government’s Standards of Conduct. The Board, therefore, should conduct a hearing on that issue.”
At the Board of Ethical Conduct meeting, it will consider the recommendation and then decide if it does indeed want to conduct a hearing.
This represents an escalation of yet another inquiry the Mayor is facing in light of the affair.
The Board of Ethical Conduct's meeting was set for March 7 at 9:00 a.m. in Suite 205, Committee Room 2 of the Metro Historic Courthouse.
