NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee state senator Brian Kelsey of Germantown, who is accused of breaking campaign finance laws, surrendered Monday morning to U.S. Marshals in Nashville.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, Kelsey made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey S. Frensley and entered a not guilty plea.
On October 22, Kelsey and a Nashville club owner were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of violating campaign finance laws involving an alleged scheme to benefit Kelsey's 2016 campaign for U.S. Congress.
Court documents said Kelsey, 43, and club owner Joshua Smith, 44, were indicted for conspiring to illegally funnel "soft money" from Kelsey's Tennessee State Senate campaign to his federal campaign committee.
"Soft money" is a contribution to a political party that is not accounted as going to a particular candidate, avoiding various legal limitations.
On Monday, Kelsey was ordered to surrender his passport and was released on conditions.
No future court date has been set.