TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Mar 17, 2023

The Tennessean reports that just days before he was set to be sentenced in federal court, former Tennessee state Sen. Brian Kelsey has filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea in what prosecutors describe as a campaign finance conspiracy to benefit a failed U.S. Congress bid. Kelsey pleaded guilty to two federal corruption charges in November, but the former lawmaker now says through court filings that personal stress compounded with a 48-hour deadline to accept a plea agreement led him to take the deal with an "unsure heart and confused mind." Kelsey is also seeking court permission to file a motion to dismiss the charges he previously pleaded guilty to "because he pleaded guilty to something that is not a crime," his legal team argues in court documents.