A decision by the Shelby County Commission to delay appointments to the defunct Shelby County Ethics Commission has effectively ended the attempt to revive the oversight board.
Shelby County commissioners voted to delay the long-pending appointments for another six months during their meeting Monday, Sept. 8. Mayor Lee Harris later informed the media that he will no longer pursue appointments to the shuttered commission.
Shelby County has been without a functioning ethics board since 2021. County commissioners had been considering the nominations of County Register Willie Brooks, former Judge Yollander Hardaway and former State Rep. Duane Thompson. Prior to the discussion, Brooks withdrew his name from consideration.
“After careful thought, reflection and ongoing issues with my father, I believe it would be in my best interest to step aside at this time,” Brooks wrote. “I sincerely appreciate the confidence and support extended by the nomination from Mayor Harris. It has been an honor to be considered, and I remain committed to the important work related to the ethics commission.”
The former commissioner’s nomination had been separated from the other nominees during a Sept. 3 committee meeting. Both resolutions were sponsored by Commissioner Henri Brooks.
Harris’ renewed push for the ethics board followed the arrest of Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr., who was indicted by federal authorities Feb. 28 for alleged kickbacks and money laundering. Prosecutors say Ford awarded grant money to local nonprofits in exchange for purchasing laptops from a business he owns.
Ford has denied all charges and has accused Harris of reviving the ethics board as part of a political vendetta.
The embattled commissioner also alleged ethics violations by Harris, fellow commissioners and county employees. He claimed the mayor pursued side deals with members in exchange for support to remove him from office.
“It’s been brought to my attention that one of our colleagues got approached regarding, if you do this, we can ouster Ford,” said Ford. “I won’t say the name of that person. We’ll let the investigation happen.”
Commissioner Britney Thornton appeared to confirm Ford’s claim. She said that while advocating for $2.7 million in funding for her district, she was “explicitly asked by the mayor to support voting against Commissioner Ford.” Thornton also accused the administration of disenfranchising her district.
“It felt wildly inappropriate for the mayor to even try to ask me to make a concession with anything that was unrelated to anything District 10-related,” Thornton said.
Ford later said Thornton was not the person he was referencing. When asked by Commissioner Amber Mills, County Attorney Megan Smith could not verify whether Harris’ alleged offer amounted to a “quid pro quo.”
Ford also requested that the county human resources department investigate elected officials and county employees for allegedly creating a hostile work environment, conflicts of interest, and retaliation against him and possibly others.
Those named in his request include Avant, Henri Brooks, Willie Brooks, Harris and County Attorney Jerri Green.
Ford accused Green of giving legal advice “illegally” for the past three years.
“I have the tapes,” Ford said.
In addition to her role as county attorney, Green is a first-term member of the Memphis City Council. She is currently running for the Democratic nomination for governor of Tennessee in 2026.
Throughout the stalled appointment process, Ford repeatedly criticized Harris and fellow commissioners, claiming hypocrisy and referencing alleged documents to support his claims.
Avant reminded members what the resolution was about and cautioned against “conflating” personal conflicts with commission business.
“It muddies the process,” Avant said. “This item we are voting on is about the ethics commission. It’s not about a targeting of any individual. It is about appointing people to a process, so that anyone in county government has any opportunity to make a complaint.”
As in previous meetings, Ford was joined by supporters, including his mother and father. During public comment, Memphis City Council member Edmund Ford Sr. spoke in defense of his son.
“I don’t want to call the commissioners out, but right now you all should hold all of this,” Ford Sr. said. “We want to have an investigation. And I’m talking about an investigation of all 13 of you all.”
