District Attorney General for the 16th Judicial District Jennings H. Jones has determined there is “no probable cause to believe any criminal offense” was committed by Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr in connection with ethics complaints filed against him in November 2025.
Jones’ decision, announced Thursday, marks the latest development in a controversy that accused Carr of orchestrating a politically motivated smear campaign against Rutherford County Property Assessor Rob Mitchell.
The original complaint, filed in November 2025 by District 20 Resident Jason Bennett and later amended the same day, alleged that the mayor misused county resources and personnel in an effort to discredit Mitchell and improperly influence county proceedings.
The complaint accused Carr of attempting to influence an ethics hearing involving Mitchell, using county staff and property for personal business purposes, and coordinating efforts to damage the assessor’s reputation.
An additional allegation claimed retaliatory conduct after the complaint was submitted.
The judge’s findings follow an earlier review into Carr by the Rutherford County Ethics Committee, which also concluded that no ethical violations had occurred.
In a release sent to The Tennessee Star, Carr welcomed the district attorney’s decision.
“I always knew that the District Attorney would clear me of any wrongdoing as the items in the complaints were baseless and politically motivated,” Carr said. “I look forward to the day when politicians do not attempt to use the Ethics Committee and District Attorney’s Office to try to earn political points.
“I am confident that these matters would have been dismissed by the Ethics Committee if a couple of members had not been attempting to earn political points for their upcoming elections. The District Attorney has now ruled concerning this matter, and I am grateful for the time and effort of District Attorney Jennings H. Jones,” he added.
Carr announced his reelection bid for mayor in September. The Republican primary is scheduled for May 5, 2026.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Joe Carr” by Joe Carr.
