U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles' campaign finance reports have been under scrutiny and were the basis of an ethics complaint filed against him in January by the Campaign Legal Center, a campaign finance watchdog group. According to the Nashville Banner, Ogles amended nearly a dozen past campaign finance reports this week, acknowledging that a reported $320,000 personal loan he made to his campaign never happened and was a "pledge if needed." Axios Nashville reports that in April, Ogles filed a disclosure showing he had about $449,000 cash on hand, including the $320,000. On his amended form, the outstanding obligation was reduced to $20,000.

Nashville Metro Council on Tuesday voted 30-3 not to allow TC Restaurant Group to install signage for country singer Morgan Wallen's bar over a Metro right-of-way. The council cited Wallen’s reputation, past use of racial slurs and recent arrest for throwing a chair off a six-story building, nearly hitting police officers, as the reason for not approving the sign. The decision was not based on code violations or safety of the sign, which has sparked some First Amendment concerns among local experts. Ronald G. Harris, chief administrator at Neal & Harwell PLC, told the Nashville Business Journal, “When you get into the regulation of commercial speech, the government has a burden to show that there’s some substantial government interest in the regulation of commercial speech ... It’s not about the sign size or location, it’s regulating what’s on the sign itself. That’s always problematic for the government — you’re objecting to who the speaker is and what’s on the sign.”

May is Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Heritage Month, recognizing the achievements of the Asian, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian communities. On May 30 from 5-7 p.m. CDT, the Nashville Bar Association's (NBA) Diversity Committee will host a reception at Bass, Berry & Sims to celebrate the people, culture and businesses of Nashville’s API community. For more information, visit the NBA's website.

Join the TBA Government Affairs team of Berkley Schwarz, attorney and TBA lobbyist with Pier Strategies, and Brad Lampley and Ashley Harbin, Adams and Reese attorneys and TBA lobbyists, as they walk you through the latest updates on legislation affecting Tennessee lawyers from the most recent session of the Tennessee General Assembly. The program will take place on June 13 from 2-3:30 p.m. CDT in the Venetian Room of the Peabody Hotel. Attendees can earn 1.5 general hours of CLE credit. Learn more about this and other CLE being offered at the annual Convention.

The Tennessee Bar Association will be closed Monday in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. The office will reopen at 8 a.m. CDT on Tuesday. Access staff email addresses and direct lines here.

Virginia lawyer Atina Rizk Stavropoulos has been reinstated to active practice of law in Tennessee. The Tennessee Supreme Court notes that the Board of Professional Responsibility found the petition for reinstatement to be satisfactory. Stavropoulos was placed on inactive status more than five years ago on Sept. 13, 2013.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has announced that his office will be looking into Naussany Investments and Private Lending LLC, the little-known entity that attempted to put Graceland up for a foreclosure auction. "My office has fought fraud against homeowners for decades, and there is no home in Tennessee more beloved than Graceland. I have asked my lawyers to look into this matter, determine the full extent of any misconduct that may have occurred, and identify what we can do to protect both Elvis Presley’s heirs and anyone else who may be similarly threatened.” Naussany said it would drop the foreclosure action after Elvis’ granddaughter filed suit alleging the company was basing its actions on forged documents. A Memphis judge halted the auction this week to investigate the claims.

Garfield Scott has announced his bid to run for Tennessee House of Representatives District 68. The seat, which represents east and south Clarksville’s rural and suburban areas, is currently held by retiring Republican Rep. Curtis Johnson. Scott is a retired truck driver and former cattle farmer, who also raised grain and tobacco on the family farm in the once rural area of St. Bethlehem. According to Clarksville Now, Scott says his campaign will focus on issues affecting all county residents, including supporting public education, building infrastructure for future growth and holding corporations accountable for public investments. Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Smith also is seeking to replace Johnson.

A man detained in pretrial custody at the Shelby County Jail is suing the county and a number of jail personnel for a minimum of $500,000 in damages for an alleged assaulted by corrections officers. The lawsuit, filed in federal court Monday night, comes about six months after Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner and District Attorney Steve Mulroy announced that two deputies had been indicted in the alleged beating. The Commercial Appeal has more on the story.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free webinar on May 28 on the basics of the state sales tax. Revenue administrative staff will discuss who and what is subject to the tax, rates, exemptions and more. Learn more or register here. The webinar is one in a series of educational sessions held by the department each month.