Fair Commissioner hit with ethics complaint over Nashville soccer stadium vote

Fair Commissioners Board member Bonna Johnson was hit with an ethics complaint on Monday over her vote in favor of building a professional soccer stadium at the fairgrounds.

Johnson is the vice president of communications for the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. The organization's president and CEO Butch Spyirdon is on the committee of supporters for bringing an MLS team to Nashville.

According to the complaint, Johnson stood to financially gain from her vote because the CVC is lobbying in favor of the soccer stadium. Johnson is not a lobbyist for the CVC, and her work is primarily in the area of dealing with the media and crafting the organization's communication strategy.

The ethics complaint was filed by Shane Smiley and Neil Chaffin, two outspoken supporters of the fairgrounds racetrack.

There are no plans to demolish the racetrack to make room for the new soccer stadium.

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Metro ethics law forbids employees and board members from taking actions to enrich themselves.

"The NCVC has written letters of recommendation lobbying for the approval of the proposed MLS stadium at the Fairgrounds to the Metro City Council and the MLS2Nashville ownership team," Smiley and Chaffin said in their complaint. "As V.P. of Corporate Communications for the leading organization lobbying to bring Major League Soccer to the Fairgrounds and as a member of the MLS organizing committee, the vote as a member of the Board of Fair Commissioners to approve this fundamental change to the Fairgrounds uses is in violation of the Metro code of ethics."

Johnson, a former Tennessean reporter and aide to former Mayor Karl Dean, said the CVC did not try to influence her vote on the soccer stadium.

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"As a former journalist and public employee, I understand the importance of avoiding conflicts and would not have been appointed to the board if my professional position was a conflict," Johnson said. "My employer has never tried to influence my votes as a Fair Board Commissioner, nor would I benefit financially by any votes I have taken. I have always acted independently in the best interest of the Fairgrounds and the city."

Reach Nate Rau at 615-259-8094 and nrau@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter @tnnaterau.