Tommy Burnett
Encyclopedia
Sam Thomas "Tommy" Burnett (August 1, 1942 – September 17, 2009) was a Tennessee
politician who was Majority Leader
of the Tennessee House of Representatives
and who served two prison sentences for separate federal convictions.
. As a student at Goodlettsville High School he served as class president and was chosen “most likely to succeed." He attended Cumberland College
and received a law degree from the University of Tennessee
. While in law school he served as a lay minister for a Church of Christ congregation in Jamestown, Tennessee
, where following graduation he established a law practice and began his political career.
, Burnett was first elected to the state legislature at age 28 in 1970, representing a district that included Fentress, Overton and Morgan counties on the Cumberland Plateau
. After taking office in 1971 Burnett became a protege of Ned McWherter
, who was then House Speaker. He soon assumed the role of Floor leader for the Democrats during the governorship of Ray Blanton
and later became House Majority Leader during the governorships of Lamar Alexander
and Ned McWherter.
As a politician Burnett was known for his charm, oratorical skill, persuasiveness, sense of humor, ability to quickly analyze issues, and effectiveness at working across party
lines to achieve results. Some state political observers thought he could become governor. He is given much of the credit for winning passage of major education legislation proposed by Governor Alexander, nursing home
reforms, the Tennessee Sentencing Commission Act, and tort
reform. Among the successful legislation that he sponsored were a law mandating use of seatbelts and a controversial initiative that limited the nighttime hours of work for teenage students.
of willfully failing to file federal income tax
returns, and served ten months in prison. While in a prison camp at Maxwell Air Force Base
he was re-elected to the Tennessee House, defeating two opponents in the primary
and winning the November 1984 general election with 60 percent of the vote.
Burnett's 20-year career as a state legislator came to an end in 1991 after he was convicted as a result of the FBI's Operation Rocky Top
investigation into corruption in the Tennessee General Assembly
. In August 1990 he was convicted on nine count
s and sentenced to second federal prison term after receiving a multi-count indictment
for his involvement in an illegal bingo gambling
operation. One of his convictions was for defrauding
a man he had met in prison by inducing him to invest $48,000 in the gambling operation. After his conviction, he was forced to end his campaign for re-election to an 11th term in the fall of 1990, and went to work as a car dealer during the appeals process.
in August 1992. After six months in the halfway house, he began a new career as a talk radio
commentator on Teddy Bart’s Roundtable program in Nashville. As a convicted felon
, he lost his law license and could not seek public office again. However, he succeeded in getting the law license restored in 2003 and became a lobbyist in the General Assembly in his final years, although health problems limited his physical activity.
His career also included stints as a cattle rancher, oil prospector, chicken farmer, and seller of fireworks
. He is credited with helping to establish the Highway 127 Corridor Sale
, which has been called "the world's largest flea market."
. His remains were transported in a mule
-drawn carriage to Springs Chapel Cemetery for burial.
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...
politician who was 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...
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:...
and who served two prison sentences for separate federal convictions.
Early life
Burnett was born and raised in Goodlettsville, TennesseeGoodlettsville, Tennessee
Goodlettsville is a city in Davidson and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Goodlettsville was incorporated as a city in 1958 with a population of just over 3,000 residents; at the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 13,780. Goodlettsville chose to remain autonomous in 1963...
. As a student at Goodlettsville High School he served as class president and was chosen “most likely to succeed." He attended Cumberland College
Cumberland University
Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842, though the current campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896.-History:...
and received a law degree from the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
. While in law school he served as a lay minister for a Church of Christ congregation in Jamestown, Tennessee
Jamestown, Tennessee
Jamestown is a city in Fentress County, Tennessee, United States. It is the county seat of Fentress County. The city population was 1,839 at the 2000 census. The 2008 estimated population is about 2,300.-History:...
, where following graduation he established a law practice and began his political career.
Political career
A DemocratDemocratic 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...
, Burnett was first elected to the state legislature at age 28 in 1970, representing a district that included Fentress, Overton and Morgan counties on the Cumberland Plateau
Cumberland Plateau
The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia, part of Tennessee, and a small portion of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia . The terms "Allegheny Plateau" and the "Cumberland Plateau" both refer to the...
. After taking office in 1971 Burnett became a protege of 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 then House Speaker. He soon assumed the role of Floor leader for the Democrats during the governorship of 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:...
and later became House Majority Leader during the governorships of Lamar Alexander
Lamar Alexander
Andrew Lamar Alexander is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and Conference Chair of the Republican Party. He was previously the 45th Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, United States Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993 under President George H. W...
and Ned McWherter.
As a politician Burnett was known for his charm, oratorical skill, persuasiveness, sense of humor, ability to quickly analyze issues, and effectiveness at working across party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
lines to achieve results. Some state political observers thought he could become governor. He is given much of the credit for winning passage of major education legislation proposed by Governor Alexander, nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
reforms, the Tennessee Sentencing Commission Act, and tort
Tort
A tort, in common law jurisdictions, is a wrong that involves a breach of a civil duty owed to someone else. It is differentiated from a crime, which involves a breach of a duty owed to society in general...
reform. Among the successful legislation that he sponsored were a law mandating use of seatbelts and a controversial initiative that limited the nighttime hours of work for teenage students.
Legal problems
In 1983 he was convicted in federal court for the misdemeanorMisdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
of willfully failing to file federal income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
returns, and served ten months in prison. While in a prison camp at Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...
he was re-elected to the Tennessee House, defeating two opponents in the primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
and winning the November 1984 general election with 60 percent of the vote.
Burnett's 20-year career as a state legislator came to an end in 1991 after he was convicted as a result of the FBI's 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:...
investigation into corruption in the Tennessee General Assembly
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 August 1990 he was convicted on nine count
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...
s and sentenced to second federal prison term after receiving a multi-count indictment
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...
for his involvement in an illegal bingo gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
operation. One of his convictions was for defrauding
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...
a man he had met in prison by inducing him to invest $48,000 in the gambling operation. After his conviction, he was forced to end his campaign for re-election to an 11th term in the fall of 1990, and went to work as a car dealer during the appeals process.
Later years
He received a five-year prison sentence for his Operation Rocky Top conviction, and served 16 months before being released to a halfway houseHalfway house
The purpose of a halfway house, also called a recovery house or sober house, is generally to allow people to begin the process of reintegration with society, while still providing monitoring and support; this is generally believed to reduce the risk of recidivism or relapse when compared to a...
in August 1992. After six months in the halfway house, he began a new career as a talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
commentator on Teddy Bart’s Roundtable program in Nashville. As a convicted felon
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
, he lost his law license and could not seek public office again. However, he succeeded in getting the law license restored in 2003 and became a lobbyist in the General Assembly in his final years, although health problems limited his physical activity.
His career also included stints as a cattle rancher, oil prospector, chicken farmer, and seller of fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
. He is credited with helping to establish the Highway 127 Corridor Sale
Highway 127 Corridor Sale
The Highway 127 Corridor Sale is an outdoor second-hand sale held annually for four days beginning the first Thursday in August along U.S. Route 127. The event has been promoted as "The World's Longest Yard Sale."...
, which has been called "the world's largest flea market."
Death
Burnett died September 17, 2009, in a hospital in Nashville. His funeral was held September 20, 2009, in the Fentress County community of Banner SpringsBanner Springs, Tennessee
Banner Springs is an unincorporated community in Fentress County, Tennessee, USA. It was the location of a post office from 1890 until 1961....
. His remains were transported in a mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
-drawn carriage to Springs Chapel Cemetery for burial.