17 hours ago
Notorious Nashville: Megan Barry made history, not all of it good
Megan Barry made history in 2015 as Nashville's first female mayor. Less than three years later, she again made history as the city's first mayor with a mug shot.
You could say Megan Barry is a politician of firsts.
She made history in 2015 when she was elected as Nashville's first female mayor. And then, less than three years later, she again made history as the city's first mayor with a mug shot.
A once rising Democratic star seen as a contender for higher office, Barry's career imploded in a spectacular scandal that made national headlines for its tawdry details about an extramarital affair with her police bodyguard.
The pair enjoyed late-night concerts, early-morning cemetery strolls and steamy hot yoga classes. They also racked up thousands of dollars in overtime on the taxpayer dime, and ultimately, felony theft charges.
Barry's downfall sent shockwaves through a city that once put her approval rating over 70 percent.
And it served as a cautionary tale for other lawmakers who might get carried away using public funds.
Ultimately, Barry pleaded guilty to felony theft of property over $10,000 related to her affair with former police Sgt. Rob Forrest.
As part of her plea agreement, she resigned as mayor and reimbursed the city $11,000 in restitution connected with her travel expenses with Forrest. Her criminal record was later expunged after completing probation.
The pair, who were both married at the time, attended nearly a dozen city-funded trips by themselves, including conferences in Paris and Greece.
Forrest, who racked up nearly $200,000 in overtime, also pleaded guilty to felony theft over $10,000 and was given probation.
For many politicians, the story would have ended here. But Barry isn't one to give up.
While in office, she lost her 22-year-old son, Max, to a drug overdose and was vocal about the heartbreak of the opioid crisis.
She later went on to write a USA Today bestselling book called 'It's What You Do Next: The Fall and Rise of Nashville's First Female Mayor,' detailing her personal and professional struggles.
In it she writes: 'At some point, all of us will be at our worst, and while some of us will be remembered for it, none of us should be defined by it.'
Last November, she ran a well-funded campaign as the Democratic challenger to U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee. Barry ultimately lost to Green. The seat will soon be vacant as Green in June announced his early retirement, but Barry has said she won't run for it again.
That doesn't mean it's not possible Tennessee could see more firsts from Megan Barry.
The Tennessean is publishing a Notorious Nashville story for each year from 2000-2024. Catch up on the series here.
