Gentry Crowell
Encyclopedia
Gentry Crowell was a Tennessee Secretary of State
whose office was a target of investigation in Operation Rocky Top
and committed suicide
during the investigation.
Crowell was born December 10, 1932, in Chestnut Mound, Smith County, Tennessee
. A Democrat
, he served in the Tennessee House of Representatives
from 1969 to 1977 (86th to 89th Tennessee General Assemblies), serving at various times as chairman of the General Welfare Committee, Rules Committee, and the House Democratic Caucus. He was first elected Secretary of State by the state legislature
in 1977, took office that year, and continued in that position until his death, having been re-elected by the legislature in 1981, 1985, and 1989.
In January 1979, while serving as Secretary of State, Crowell witnessed Governor Ray Blanton
's signature on the pardon
s and commutation
s of prison sentences that Blanton notoriously issued shortly before leaving office. He was quoted at the time as saying of Blanton, "Some people have more guts than they've got brains."
In 1989, the Secretary of State's office was a target of investigation for Operation Rocky Top, due to staff involvement in a public corruption
scandal involving fund-raising irregularities and fraud
ulent charity bingo operations. Crowell's administrative assistant was indicted for embezzlement
of thousands of dollars from the Democratic Caucus campaign fund, of which Crowell was treasurer. Crowell was called to testify before the federal grand jury
in the Rocky Top investigation, but was not indicted
in the investigation. He died at age 57 on December 20, 1989, after shooting himself in the mouth with a .38-caliber pistol on December 12. He is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery in Lebanon, Tennessee
.
Tennessee Secretary of State
The Tennessee Secretary of State is the state secretary of state for the State of Tennessee.The office is created by the Tennessee State Constitution. The Secretary of State is responsible for many of the administrative aspects of the operation of state government of Tennessee...
whose office was a target of investigation in Operation Rocky Top
Operation Rocky Top
Operation Rocky Top was the Federal Bureau of Investigation's code name for a public corruption investigation into the Tennessee state government in the late 1980s.-Investigation:...
and committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
during the investigation.
Crowell was born December 10, 1932, in Chestnut Mound, Smith County, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. A Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, he served in the Tennessee House of Representatives
Tennessee House of Representatives
The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional requirements:...
from 1969 to 1977 (86th to 89th Tennessee General Assemblies), serving at various times as chairman of the General Welfare Committee, Rules Committee, and the House Democratic Caucus. He was first elected Secretary of State by the state legislature
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
in 1977, took office that year, and continued in that position until his death, having been re-elected by the legislature in 1981, 1985, and 1989.
In January 1979, while serving as Secretary of State, Crowell witnessed Governor Ray Blanton
Ray Blanton
Leonard Ray Blanton was the 44th Governor of Tennessee from 1975 to 1979. Blanton's administration was rife with corruption.-Early life and Congress:...
's signature on the pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
s and commutation
Commutation of sentence
Commutation of sentence involves the reduction of legal penalties, especially in terms of imprisonment. Unlike a pardon, a commutation does not nullify the conviction and is often conditional. Clemency is a similar term, meaning the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime...
s of prison sentences that Blanton notoriously issued shortly before leaving office. He was quoted at the time as saying of Blanton, "Some people have more guts than they've got brains."
In 1989, the Secretary of State's office was a target of investigation for Operation Rocky Top, due to staff involvement in a public corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
scandal involving fund-raising irregularities and fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
ulent charity bingo operations. Crowell's administrative assistant was indicted for embezzlement
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
of thousands of dollars from the Democratic Caucus campaign fund, of which Crowell was treasurer. Crowell was called to testify before the federal grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
in the Rocky Top investigation, but was not indicted
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
in the investigation. He died at age 57 on December 20, 1989, after shooting himself in the mouth with a .38-caliber pistol on December 12. He is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery in Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...
.