Charges against TVA chairman dismissed

Bill Sansom

TVA's Inspector General has dismissed allegations that TVA Chairman Bill Sansom's personal financial interests were a conflict of interest with his position at the federal utility.

Garry Morgan, a Scottsboro, Ala., critic of nuclear power, claimed at an April board meeting of TVA that Sansom's board positions with Astec Industries and Martin Marietta Materials may have affected his position on the use of coal, which can be mined using earth moving and road building equipment made by such firms. Morgan also questioned Sansom's service as a director for First Horizon Corp., the parent company of First Tennessee Bank which handles TVA employees' health savings accounts.

"There was no evidence Mr. Sansom participated in any particular matter as part of his TVA duties which was related to his personal financial interests," TVA's IG said in a report released last week.

Morgan also raised questions about a nepotism violation by Sansom, but the TVA employee in question had the same name as Sansom's son-in-law but is not related to the TVA chairman.