State ethics office gives annual training to House members on gifts, disclosures and online fundraising

The Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance conducted the annual ethics and campaign finance training required by state law, briefing House members on disclosure deadlines, gift rules, campaign reporting and recent advisory guidance.

Lauren Topping, general counsel for the Bureau, reviewed statutory requirements and practical guidance, citing TCA 3‑6‑113 as the statutory basis for the training and advising members to file accurate, timely statements and to update disclosures as circumstances change. "The statement of interest disclosure for each member of the general assembly is due to be filed with our office on April 15, 2025," Topping said, and reminded members that disclosures must be amended when reportable circumstances change.

Topping emphasized the broad prohibition on accepting gifts from lobbyists or employers of lobbyists, including indirect gifts. She highlighted Ethics Commission advisory opinion 24‑01, which found that closely linked 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations paying expenses can create an indirect, prohibited gift. "If you are working with lobbying organizations, if you are working with charitable organizations and they attempt to pay for travel or lodging for you, you need to be skeptical of that," she said.

The bureau discussed campaign‑account assets and personal use rules. Topping noted that campaign committees may purchase tangible assets such as vehicles or computers, but those become campaign assets and any personal use must be reimbursed at fair market value. On small donors and online platforms, the bureau warned that services such as PayPal, Venmo and Cash App often do not collect necessary contributor information and that campaigns bear responsibility for ensuring disclosure compliance. "Be aware that these services do not collect all of the information that you need in order to properly complete your campaign finance reports," she said.

The office also reviewed filing and reporting deadlines, campaign contribution limits and recent registration requirements for political campaign committees. Topping described a $2,000 reporting threshold for unitemized contributions per reporting period and cautioned against "fishbowl" collections that make donor verification impossible. The bureau signaled ongoing attention to possible suspicious contribution patterns and said it will coordinate with state and federal investigators if warranted.

The training closed with an offer for members to consult the bureau for guidance and reminders that many technical issues can be prevented by contacting the office early.

Materials referenced during the briefing included the 2025 general assembly training manual and a PowerPoint distributed to members. The training was presented during the House’s session time and is part of required unfinished business before the House adjourned to recess.