Politics

Tennessee tea party candidate has history of fraud, bankruptcy

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Betsi Fores The Daily Caller News Foundation
Font Size:

Brenda Lenard, a self-described “level-headed Republican,”  is running as a tea party candidate against incumbent Sen. Bob Corker in the Tennessee Republican primary. Lenard’s history of fraud and bankruptcy, however, may pose a problem for her candidacy.

An investigation by InvestigativeCheck uncovered that Lenard, a black, single mom who grew up in the projects, is a convicted felon, guilty of writing bad checks. In 1993, she wrote a check for an amount greater than $500, according to Georgia Bureau of Investigation files. Records show she paid a fine of $250 and spent 12 months on probation.

Lenard also filed for bankruptcy protection four times from 2003 to 2005, so many times that a federal judge rebuked her for attempting to abuse the system, calling it an “abusive filing” intended “to improperly hinder and delay creditors.”

Currently, Lenard is finishing up her doctorate degree as she campaigns for the Republican Senate seat. She has raised more money than her other primary competitors, behind the incumbent Corker, according to FEC records.

Lenard did not previously disclose her felony or bankruptcies, but she says she has no reservations about her rough past and that she is on the right path now.

“The good news is, I am now very close to finishing my PhD. So it’s a tragedy and success story all in one,” Lenard has said.

Follow Betsi on Twitter

 

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.