Federal Indictment Forces Suspension of Shelby County Court Clerk Tami Sawyer
Tennessee Today
Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer looks on as her attorney John Keith Perry answers a question during a press conference outside of the Odell Horton Federal Building. (Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal)
MEMPHIS, TN — Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer has been suspended from office after a federal indictment accused her of stealing more than $44,000 in taxpayer funds and using the money for personal expenses, as initially reported by Action News 5.
General Sessions Court judges voted June 17 to suspend Sawyer for 60 days and turned to a familiar face to steady the office, asking former General Sessions Court Clerk Edward Stanton Jr. to serve as interim clerk. Stanton previously held the position before leaving to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee and is expected to oversee the office while the criminal case against Sawyer proceeds. Sawyer must turn over her badge and keys, surrender access to court offices and computer systems, and step away from her duties although she will continue collecting her taxpayer-funded salary and benefits.
The suspension follows a six-count federal indictment charging Sawyer with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, theft of federal funds, honest services wire fraud, money laundering, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering.
Court order suspension of Tami Sawyer
Federal prosecutors allege Sawyer embezzled $44,607.35 in county funds between August 2024 and June 2025. According to the indictment, the money paid for personal expenses including alcohol, restaurants, hotels, FedExForum tickets, and political fundraisers.
The indictment paints a broader picture than simple overspending. Federal prosecutors allege Sawyer funneled county money through another individual before having it sent back to her personal PayPal account, altered receipts submitted for reimbursement, falsely claimed receipts had been lost, and improperly used county-issued travel cards and travel advances for unauthorized trips.
Sawyer pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released on her own recognizance. She must surrender her passport, provide financial disclosures, and receive approval before opening new lines of credit.
Following her initial court appearance, Sawyer’s attorney, John Keith Perry, said she intended to remain on the job while fighting the charges.
“Right now it’s just a matter of trying to go forward and do the things that she has been elected to do,” Perry said in the aftermath of her arraignment. “She’s going to continue to do her job and we’re going to defend these charges.”
That plan was short-lived.
Under Tennessee law, judges may suspend a court clerk immediately after an indictment for “a felony or misdemeanor in office” and appoint a temporary replacement. The same statute was used in 2011 to suspend then-General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson after he was indicted on misconduct charges involving campaign fundraising. Jackson later received pretrial diversion, an option no longer available to elected officials after lawmakers changed state law in 2013.
While the federal case moves forward, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office has not filed separate state charges, though prosecutors have said they have not ruled out doing so pending further review.
For now, the office elected to safeguard taxpayer dollars and oversee one of Shelby County’s busiest courts will be led by a temporary clerk while its elected officeholder defends herself against allegations that she abused both.