19 Facts About Brian Kelsey

Brian Kelsey was born on December 22,1977 and is an American politician and former member of the Tennessee State Senate.

In November 2022, Kelsey pleaded guilty to violating two federal campaign finance laws in connection with his failed 2016 congressional campaign.

Brian Kelsey attended prekindergarten through high school on scholarship at private schools and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Brian Kelsey was first elected as a state representative to the 104th Tennessee General Assembly.

Brian Kelsey served on the House Children and Family Affairs Committee; the House Commerce Committee; the House Domestic Relations Subcommittee; and the House Utilities, Banking and Small Business Subcommittee.

Brian Kelsey was the former chairman of the House Civil Practice Subcommittee.

Brian Kelsey ran for the District 31 seat vacated after the resignation of former Senator Paul Stanley.

In 2010, Brian Kelsey won re-election for a full term as the Senator from the Thirty-First District.

Brian Kelsey was admitted to the Joint Committee on Fiscal Review, which consists of members from both chambers who oversee the Fiscal Review Office.

Brian Kelsey is a member in the American Legislative Exchange Council, having attended meetings of the organization.

Brian Kelsey ran unopposed in 2014 for the District 31 seat.

Brian Kelsey is the only legislator in Tennessee history to sponsor three successful amendments to the state constitution: the first prohibited a state income tax, the second changed the selection of state appellate judges from popular vote to gubernatorial appointment, and the third added a new section to the Tennessee Constitution to make it illegal for workplaces to require mandatory labor union membership for employees as a condition for employment.

Brian Kelsey sponsored the Governor's comprehensive tort reform act in 2011, and passed a law to prohibit Obamacare Medicaid expansion in Tennessee in 2014.

In 2021, Brian Kelsey was one of four Republican senators who voted against removing from the Tennessee constitution the article which allows involuntary servitude as punishment for people convicted of a crime.

In March 2022, following his indictment by a federal grand jury in October 2021, Brian Kelsey announced he would not be seeking re-election.

Brian Kelsey was indicted for violating multiple campaign finance laws, including soft money contributions in violation of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002.

Brian Kelsey become one of the first politicians ever to be indicted for alleged soft money violations.

Brian Kelsey initially pleaded not guilty until his co-defendant, Nashville social club owner Joshua Smith, pleaded guilty in October 2022.

On November 22,2022, Brian Kelsey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the Federal Election Commission as well as aiding and abetting the acceptance of excessive contributions on behalf of a federal campaign.