Tennessee tea party candidate has history of fraud, bankruptcy

Brenda Lenard, a self-described “level-headed Republican,”  is running as a tea party candidate against incumbent Sen. Bob Corker in the Tennessee Republican primary. Lenard’s history of fraud and bankruptcy, however, may pose a problem for her candidacy.

An investigation by InvestigateCheck uncovered that Lenard, a black, single mom who grew up in the projects, is a convicted felon, guilty of writing bad checks. In 1993, she wrote a check for an amount greater than $500, according to Georgia Bureau of Investigation files. Records show she paid a fine of $250 and spent 12 months on probation.

Lenard also filed for bankruptcy protection four times from 2003 to 2005, so many times that a federal judge rebuked her for attempting to abuse the system, calling it an “abusive filing” intended “to improperly hinder and delay creditors.”

Currently, Lenard is finishing up her doctorate degree as she campaigns for the Republican Senate seat. She has raised more money than her other primary competitors, behind the incumbent Corker, according to FEC records.

Lenard did not previously disclose her felony or bankruptcies, but she says she has no reservations about her rough past and that she is on the right path now.

“The good news is, I am now very close to finishing my PhD. So it’s a tragedy and success story all in one,” Lenard has said.

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