Image: Republican mega-donor Lee Beaman came under fire from a Tennessee congressman and a prominent senator during Beaman’s Wednesday Senate confirmation hearing for an appointment to the Tennessee Valley Authority board. Image Credit: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout
*Note from The Tennessee Conservative: This article posted for informational purposes only.
By Sam Stockard [Tennessee Lookout -CC BY-NC-ND 4.0] –
A key U.S. senator raised questions Wednesday about whether former car dealership magnate Lee Beaman is fit to serve on the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors.
Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, told the panel that Beaman’s qualification is that of a “Trump loyalist and 2020 election denier,” in reference to his support of President Donald Trump and claims that the presidential election of 2020 was stolen, a matter that has been debunked.
Whitehouse said Beaman signed a letter asking state lawmakers to appoint phony electors to overturn the election and noted he received a “Freedom Award” from Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity, which supports the fossil-fuel industry.
“When the ask comes to raise customers’ rates by backing away from clean energy, it’s a safe bet whose back he’ll have,” Whitehouse said.
In addition, Beaman is a landlord for several Republican members of Congress at a Capitol Hill rowhome, including U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, Whitehouse said, along with U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee. Critics have questioned whether the arrangements meet disclosure and ethics requirements.
The nonpartisan Office of Congressional Ethics found wrongdoing in an Ogles campaign finance report, with Beaman serving as treasurer at the time, and planned to subpoena the congressman to testify. But that has been stalled since Johnson took over the speakership, Whitehouse said.
U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee introduced Beaman at the committee hearing, with Blackburn touting his “decades of experience in business leadership, community service and organizational governance,” as well as leadership in the beverage industry for 35 years in Tennessee and Georgia, according to a knoxnews article. Work in those TVA service areas gives Beaman “first-hand familiarity with the communities, the people, the economic conditions and the operations needs of this region,” Blackburn said.
The full Senate will take a final vote on the nominations of Beaman and four other men to fill TVA posts that became vacant after Trump fired Biden appointees, leaving the board unable to reach a quorum for decisions.
Asked Wednesday about his views on the importance of nuclear energy to TVA’s future, Beaman said, “I think nuclear power generation is the future of power in the United States and probably around the world,” according to the Knoxnews report.
Similarly to the other four nominees, Beaman told the committee he opposes privatizing the federally-owned utility, saying, “TVA is more uniquely, appropriately operated as a government entity.”
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, a Memphis Democrat, called for the committee to reject Beaman’s nomination, saying he has no experience in the energy and utilities industries, in addition to lacking “sound judgment” and independence. Instead, most of his career has been in automotive sales, beverage distribution, real estate holdings and political fundraising, Cohen said.
“Nothing in Mr. Beaman’s record reflects the expertise necessary to provide informed oversight of such a complex public utility,” Cohen said in a statement.
The congressman also said Beaman acknowledged he was encouraged to pursue the TVA seat because of the “ongoing race for energy to feed AI-driven demand for data centers.” Cohen said Beaman holds equity stakes in businesses depending on AI integration, including energy-intensive computing, raising questions about a potential conflict of interest.
Beaman is a member of the Belmont University Board of Trustees, returning to the post after a leave of absence related to a divorce and accusations of sordid behavior by his ex-wife.
He did not return a call requesting comment on the Senate hearing.
