Tommy Burnett

Sam Thomas Burnett (August 1, 1942 – September 17, 2009) was an American politician who was Majority Leader of the Tennessee House of Representatives and served two prison sentences for separate federal convictions.

Early life and education Burnett was born and raised in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. He attended Cumberland College and received a law degree from the University of Tennessee.

Professional life A farmer, businessperson and attorney, Burnett served as a Cumberland County Church of Christ preacher in Jamestown, Tennessee. After graduating from law school, Burnett established a law practice and began his political career.

Political career In 1970, 28-year-old Burnett, a Democrat, was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives. His district included Fentress, Overton and Morgan counties on the Cumberland Plateau. Burnett became a trusted lieutenant of House Speaker Ned McWherter. Burnett served first as house floor leader then house majority leader during the administrations of Governors Ray Blanton, Lamar Alexander and McWherter.

1991 conviction Burnett was convicted again in August 1990 on nine counts for his involvement in an illegal bingo gambling operation. In 1991, Burnett was convicted as a result of the Operation Rocky Top investigation by the FBI into corruption in the Tennessee General Assembly. One of his convictions was for defrauding a man he had met in prison and inducing him to invest $48,000 in the gambling operation.

Burnett received a five-year prison sentence for his Operation Rocky Top conviction, and served 16 months before being released to a halfway house in August 1992. After his conviction, he was forced to end his campaign for re-election to an 11th term in the fall of 1990, and went to work as a car dealer during the appeals process. After six months in the halfway house, he began a new career as a talk radio commentator on Teddy Bart's Roundtable program in Nashville.

As a convicted felon, Burnett lost his law license and could not seek public office again. However, he succeeded in getting the law license restored in 2003 and became a lobbyist in the General Assembly in his final years, although health problems limited his physical activity.

Later years Burnett's career also included stints as a cattle rancher, oil prospector, chicken farmer, and seller of fireworks. He is credited with helping to establish the Highway 127 Corridor Sale, which has been called "the world's largest flea market."