NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Republican Party has issued the following statement upon the resignation of state Sen. Jerry Cooper, D-Morrison, in the wake of his legal troubles involving DUI, federal fraud allegations and theft of campaign contributions:

“Sen. Cooper has done the right thing…finally.

“Because Sen. Cooper clung to power after a DUI conviction, a fraud trail, and the revelation that he had stolen $95,000 from his campaign contributors, his resignation comes too late for a special election that would allow voters in Franklin, Bledsoe, Coffee, Grundy, Sequatchie, Van Buren, and Warren counties to elect his successor, rather than to have their next senator appointed for them by the Warren County Commission.

“Still, the Tennessee Republican Party welcomes the opportunity it will give voters in the seven counties of the 14th district next November to make a break with entrenched political corruption and chart a new direction.”

# # # TNGOP December 7, 2007

Contact:
Bill Hobbs
Communications Director
Tennessee Republican Party
2424 21st Avenue, Suite 200
Nashville, TN 37212
billhobbs@tngop.org