Former Sen. Brian Kelsey asks judge to withdraw guilty plea
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A former Tennessee state senator accused of violating federal campaign finance laws is seeking to withdraw his guilty plea...
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A former Tennessee state senator accused of violating federal campaign finance laws is seeking to withdraw his guilty plea , arguing that he initially did so with 'unsure heart and confused mind.' Brian Kelsey, who previously represented the Germantown, Corodova and East Memphis areas of Shelby County, had entered a guilty plea before a federal judge in November in the case related to a failed 2016 congressional campaign. Before that, Kelsey had previously pleaded not guilty — often describing his case as a 'political witch hunt' — but changed his mind shortly after his co-defendant, Nashville social club owner Joshua Smith, pleaded guilty to one count under a deal that required him to 'cooperate fully and truthfully' with federal authorities.