Sen. Jerry Cooper (D–Morrison) announced Monday that he will not seek re-election in 2008.
The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance recently fined Sen. Cooper $120,000 in the wake of a complaint brought by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research.
The complaint, based on documents uncovered in an unrelated bank fraud trial held in Chattanooga, alleged that he funneled $95,004 from his campaign account into his personal account using 24 checks written from December 1999 to November 2001.
Sen. Cooper, who has represented the 14th Senate District since 1985, was not present at the recent hearing.
In total, the Registry determined that 23 of Sen. Cooper’s 24 checks included in the Tennessee Center for Policy Research’s complaint violated state campaign finance laws.
Democratic Caucus Chairman Sen. Joe Haynes, D-Goodlettsville, said Monday,
"Sen. Cooper has been a very valuable member of the legislature for over 20 years. This decision is typical of his service because he has never met a challenge he did not accept."