Michalyn Easter-Thomas, a City Council member in Memphis, has stepped down from her post with the Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP) amid an ethics investigation into whether her dual roles presented a conflict of interest. Her resignation was announced during Wednesday's ethics complaint hearing, as reported by Local Memphis.
The ethics complaint, filed in January, suggested Easter-Thomas was improperly benefiting financially from her role with the nonprofit. Throughout the ordeal, Easter-Thomas had consistently recused herself from votes regarding MRPP to counter any questions of propriety seemingly preemptively. However, allegations arose that she did not always disclose her MRPP ties during times of recusal, a "technical" issue that her lawyer, Andre Wharton, believes was at the heart of the ethics violation, according to an interview he gave to Action News 5.
Easter-Thomas's legal counsel emphasized her decision to resign as a commitment "to put an end to this ethical claim," referring to it as "the ultimate example of sacrifice through service." This sentiment was echoed by dozens of supporters who packed the hearing room at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, forcing a relocation to accommodate the crowd, as detailed by The Commercial Appeal.
After concluding the hearing where Easter-Thomas resigned, the ethics board, through its attorney Rodrick Holmes, recommended that the councilwoman be censured. The board is now to issue a written opinion to the City Council, which will decide whether to carry through with the censure. Wharton pointed to the nuances of the ethics ordinance that could have allowed his client's actions to be within the bounds of legality, stating she disclosed her employment with MRPP aloud and did so in writing at least once. Easter-Thomas herself has not publicly commented since the hearing. Wharton told Local Memphis that the situation calls for a closer review of the laws "to make sure they are realistic."
Further complicating the issue, Easter-Thomas's role with MRPP was not funded by city money but through grant funds, a detail her attorney emphasized when addressing her financial ties to the organization. However, Rodrick Holmes of the ethics board maintained that the resignation action was the "appropriate step," suggesting a settlement need not be mentioned in this case of ethics oversight, per Action News 5.
