Operation Rocky Top
Encyclopedia
Operation Rocky Top was the Federal Bureau of Investigation
's (FBI's) code name
for a public corruption
investigation into the Tennessee
state government in the late 1980s.
undercover investigation into illegal activities in charity bingo, including the illegal sale of bingo licenses.
A first-year member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
, Randy McNally
of Oak Ridge
, became a secret participant in the investigation in 1986 after he reported to authorities that a bingo lobbyist had offered him bribes and had boasted about bribing other lawmakers. For the duration of the investigation McNally "wore a wire" and cultivated the trust of bingo lobbyists and other insiders so they would talk freely in front of him and offer him bribes. Ned McWherter
, who was Speaker of the Tennessee House when the investigation began and who was elected governor in 1986, also was praised by federal officials for cooperating with the investigation.
. In exchange for a plea bargain
, Walker gave investigators details on how he had helped bingo operators become chartered as bogus charities
so they could obtain state licenses to run bingo games, and how bingo operators then channeled money back to state legislators who were part of the scheme. At the height of activity there were nearly 300 bingo operations in the state with estimated annual revenue of $31 million.
The investigation resulted in over 50 convictions and the incarceration
of several politician
s, most notably state House
Majority Leader
Tommy Burnett
. Two targets of the investigation committed suicide
: Tennessee Secretary of State
Gentry Crowell
(in December 1989, just before he was scheduled to testify for a third time before a federal grand jury
) and long-time State Representative Ted Ray Miller of Knoxville
(after being charged with bribery
). Following the scandal, Tennessee established limits on political contributions and placed new restrictions on lobbying
.
, one of the state's official songs. Years later, another investigation of Tennessee public corruption was code-named Operation Tennessee Waltz
, after another state song.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
's (FBI's) code name
Code name
A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage...
for 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...
investigation into the 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...
state government in the late 1980s.
Investigation
Operation Rocky Top was launched in 1986 as an FBI and Tennessee Bureau of InvestigationTennessee Bureau of Investigation
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is the criminal investigative arm of the state government of Tennessee.It was established by the Tennessee General Assembly on March 27, 1980, as an independent state agency...
undercover investigation into illegal activities in charity bingo, including the illegal sale of bingo licenses.
A first-year member of 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:...
, Randy McNally
Randy McNally
Randy McNally is a Tennessee politician and a Republican member of the Tennessee Senate representing the 5th district, which encompasses Anderson County, Loudon County, Monroe County, and part of Knox County. He is a resident of Oak Ridge....
of Oak Ridge
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Oak Ridge is a city in Anderson and Roane counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee, about west of Knoxville. Oak Ridge's population was 27,387 at the 2000 census...
, became a secret participant in the investigation in 1986 after he reported to authorities that a bingo lobbyist had offered him bribes and had boasted about bribing other lawmakers. For the duration of the investigation McNally "wore a wire" and cultivated the trust of bingo lobbyists and other insiders so they would talk freely in front of him and offer him bribes. Ned McWherter
Ned McWherter
Ned Ray McWherter was an American politician who served as the 46th Governor of Tennessee from 1987 to 1995. He was a Democrat.McWherter was born in Palmersville, Weakley County, Tennessee...
, who was Speaker of the Tennessee House when the investigation began and who was elected governor in 1986, also was praised by federal officials for cooperating with the investigation.
Results
Operation Rocky Top became public in January 1989 when W.D. "Donnie" Walker, a one-time bingo regulator in the state government who later became a lobbyist, pleaded guilty to offering McNally a $10,000 bribe in exchange for his vote on a measure to legalize horse racingHorse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. In exchange for a plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
, Walker gave investigators details on how he had helped bingo operators become chartered as bogus charities
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
so they could obtain state licenses to run bingo games, and how bingo operators then channeled money back to state legislators who were part of the scheme. At the height of activity there were nearly 300 bingo operations in the state with estimated annual revenue of $31 million.
The investigation resulted in over 50 convictions and the incarceration
Incarceration
Incarceration is the detention of a person in prison, typically as punishment for a crime .People are most commonly incarcerated upon suspicion or conviction of committing a crime, and different jurisdictions have differing laws governing the function of incarceration within a larger system of...
of several politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s, most notably state House
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:...
Majority Leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
Tommy Burnett
Tommy Burnett
Sam Thomas "Tommy" Burnett was a Tennessee politician who was Majority Leader of the Tennessee House of Representatives and who served two prison sentences for separate federal convictions.-Early life :...
. Two targets of the investigation 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...
: Tennessee Secretary of State
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...
Gentry Crowell
Gentry Crowell
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....
(in December 1989, just before he was scheduled to testify for a third time before a 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...
) and long-time State Representative Ted Ray Miller of Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
(after being charged with bribery
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
). Following the scandal, Tennessee established limits on political contributions and placed new restrictions on lobbying
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
.
Code name
The code name for the investigation was derived from Rocky TopRocky Top
"Rocky Top" is an American country and bluegrass song written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant in 1967 and first recorded by the Osborne Brothers later that same year...
, one of the state's official songs. Years later, another investigation of Tennessee public corruption was code-named Operation Tennessee Waltz
Operation Tennessee Waltz
Operation Tennessee Waltz was a sting operation set up by federal and state law enforcement agents, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The operation led to the arrest of seven Tennessee state lawmakers and two men identified as "bagmen" in the...
, after another state song.
Sources
- Sandra Roberts, Before Tennessee Waltz, there was Rocky Top, The Tennessean, June 5, 2005.