Marsha Blackburn

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn said “nothing” happened after the Senate Ethics Committee investigated allegations that her office inappropriately used government funds for political gain during her 2024 reelection bid.

Senate ethics committee members determined ethics violations had occurred, according to a source familiar with the investigation who spoke with The Tennessean on condition of anonymity. The committee gave Blackburn the opportunity to self-correct before making any findings public, the source said, and recommended Blackburn's office create a clear separation between official work and political work.

Speaking to reporters in Mt. Juliet on election day, Blackburn said there was no finding of wrongdoing.

“What you’re saying is not accurate. There was a complaint that was made. It was investigated, and nothing,” Blackburn said.

Blackburn secured the GOP nomination for Tennessee governor on Aug. 6.

In response to reporting on the probe, Blackburn’s gubernatorial primary rival, U.S. Rep. John Rose, repeatedly called for her to release documentation around the probe. In a letter to Blackburn last week, Rose pointed to historic scandals that have occurred around the Tennessee governor's office and said voters deserved to know the results of the Senate probe.

“Tennessee has had a history of scandals in state government. These include Operation Rocky Top, Operation Tennessee Waltz, the Phoenix Solutions scandal, and of course the infamous cash for pardons scandal of Governor Ray Blanton," Rose wrote. "Tennesseans deserve to know if a candidate for Governor has been found guilty or not of unethical acts that have allegedly occurred in your U.S. Senate office."

When asked why her office has not released any letter or document demonstrating a finding of no wrongdoing, as experts have said is the practice in such a case, Blackburn repeated her statement.

“There was a complaint that was made. It was investigated, and nothing,” Blackburn said.

Asked whether her office is in possession of such a document, she said the same thing.

Allegations made to the ethics committee surrounded Blackburn's 2024 bid for reelection to the U.S. Senate. At the time, Blackburn's longtime political campaign strategist Ward Baker asked federal staff members to attend political meetings and gather information for campaign purposes throughout the 2024 election cycle.

Senate ethics rules prohibit staff from using federal resources to engage in campaign activity. The appearance of impropriety, even if there is no wrongdoing, can be enough to result in an ethics violation.

Senate ethics investigations are rare and almost never result in a formal rebuke. Of the 1,394 complaints filed in the past 10 years, only three resulted in a public or private letter from the committee, records show.