One More Black Eye: TN Ethics Commission Finds Probable Cause - Council on the Hot Seat Again
Friends of Old HIckory Lake UPDATE: Ethics Commission Finds Probable Cause - Gallatin City Council in the Hot Seat Again
Friends of Old Hickory Lake | Special Bulletin
The Bottom Line
On Monday, August 24, the Tennessee Ethics Commission (TEC) voted to move forward with a show-cause hearing against four members of the Gallatin City Council, Craig Hayes, Steve Carter, Paul Jones, and Steve Fann, after finding there is probable cause to believe these council members violated Tennessee law, specifically T.C.A. § 8-50-507, which requires elected officials to file an annual Statement of Interest disclosing their income sources, business interests, and investments.
This isn't a technicality. This is a state ethics body telling Gallatin: we see enough evidence here to take this further.
How We Got Here
● September 2025: A Gallatin citizen filed a formal ethics complaint alleging four council members failed to file their legally required Statement of Interest.
● February 2026: The TEC referred the case to the Tennessee Attorney General's office for further investigation. A 10-page detailed report was compiled.
● Monday, August 24, 2026: The TEC voted to proceed with a show-cause hearing - a signal that the Commission found probable cause of a violation.
Under T.C.A. § 3-6-205, the Ethics Commission has the authority to issue findings and penalties against officials found to have violated the law. That means real consequences are now on the table for sitting members of our city council.
And Where Was the Mayor?
For reasons that have not been explained to the public, Mayor Paige Brown participated in the Ethics Commission's hearing by telephone. Gallatin residents deserve to know why.
One More Black Eye
This is not an isolated incident. Add it to the pile: the term-limits litigation, the questions swirling around the Foxland Harbor Marina proposal, the zoning fights, and now a state ethics body finding probable cause of a law violation by sitting council members - all under Mayor Paige Brown's watch.
Gallatin citizens should be asking themselves: what else is going on in this town?
Our city government answers to us. When four council members can't be bothered to file a legally required financial disclosure - and now face a probable cause finding from the state - that's not a footnote. That's a pattern.
It's Time
FOHL will continue to track this hearing and report back to our members as it develops. In the meantime, this is one more reason it's time to Make Gallatin Nice Again - with a city council and a mayor who are transparent, accountable, and put this community first.
Source: Gallatin News / Main Street Media of Tennessee, "Tennessee Ethics Commission moves ahead with complaint against Gallatin councilmen," Aug. 24, 2026.
Friends of Old Hickory Lake | Source: TN Attorney General's Investigative Report, TEC No. C2025-009