Federal prosecutors have charged a Tennessee state senator with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal personal spending grants.
The federal complaint alleges that Senator Katrina Robinson (D) used more than $ 600,000 to pay for campaign expenses and her wedding, honeymoon, and divorce.
Robinson allegedly misappropriated grant money funds for a nurse training program at the vocational school he runs.
The Healthcare Institute (THI), a for-profit university, received more than $ 2.2 million in Health and Human Services grants from 2015 to 2019. The funds were earmarked specifically for training of nursing assistants and need-based scholarships, according to the complaint.
Robinson has been under investigation since 2016 after an anonymous report that he spent $ 550 of grant money on a Louis Vuitton bag.
Investigators analyzed their bank records and found that a performance bonus of $ 25,400 was given, according to collection documents. In total, records indicate that he received more than an additional $ 169,000 in salary than the terms of the grant dictated.
“These expenses required prior consultation and approval by the Health Resources and Services Administration, none of which occurred,” the complaint said. “Furthermore, according to the representatives of the Health Resources and Services Administration, if the approval of these articles had been requested, it would not have been granted.”
Further investigation indicated several transfers of grant money to a separate bank account, where “legitimate expenses for THI’s operations were indiscriminately combined with personal expenses for the benefit of Robinson and his immediate family,” according to the complaint.
Robinson could face up to two decades in prison and $ 250,000 in fines if convicted. Lt. Governor Randy McNally (R) ‘s office has said it will ask the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate the matter, The New York Times reported.
“Senator Robinson’s work in the state legislature on behalf of her constituents is not in question here today,” the Senate Democratic Caucus said in a statement.
“Like any other American, Senator Robinson deserves the presumption of innocence and due process of law,” the statement added. “Your case must be resolved by a court of law, not by a court of public opinion.”
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