Martin reels after former mayor, economic development director charged with theft, misconduct

The City Court Room in Martin, Tennessee was nearly full on Nov. 25, 2025 as the Martin Board of Aldermen met to approve the resignations of former mayor Randy Brundige and former economic development director Bradley Thompson. (Photo: Cassandra Stephenson/Tennessee Lookout)

Two weeks after the City of Martin’s mayor and economic development director were indicted on multiple felony charges of theft and official misconduct, remaining city leadership is facing a reckoning. 

The Martin City Board of Aldermen unanimously accepted the resignations of former Mayor Randal “Randy” Brundige and former economic development director Bradley Thompson during a special meeting on Nov. 25.

Before the board voted to appoint Vice Mayor David Belote as the city’s mayor — a position he would hold until the next city election in November 2026 — one of the board’s newest members questioned how Martin could move forward under the leadership of officials who were in power over the last decade and failed to catch nearly half a million dollars in alleged misappropriations.

Jacob Crowe, who began representing Ward 3 in December 2024, called for the resignations of Belote, Alderman Danny Nanney and Alderman Terry Hankins, each of whom served on the city’s Finance Committee over the last decade. The trio was not mentioned in the Tennessee comptroller’s report, nor do they face charges.

“Our city is hurting right now, and there are people that have lost confidence in what this board is … I don’t know if we can move forward with the confidence of how this board sits,” Crowe said.

Belote said the city could hold a special election for a new mayor as early as April 2026, but that would be within a few months of the city’s regularly scheduled election in November.

The board approved Belote’s appointment 4-1, with Crowe voting no. But after several members of the public expressed their concerns about the board’s lack of oversight, Belote said he too would consider resigning.

Martin mayor indicted on theft of funds, official misconduct 

“I don’t know what processes are going to take place in order for that to happen, but I hear you,” Belote said. “Do I want to be part of (the work ahead)? Sure, I would like to, but … you’ve said what you’ve said, and I’ve taken it in. And if it’s time, it’s time, for me.”

Brundige, Thompson, and Brundige’s daughter, Natalie, were indicted on Nov. 12 after an investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office uncovered a combined misuse of more than $450,000 in public funds since February 2015. 

Brundige, who served as Martin’s mayor since 2002, is accused of using his city-issued credit card to pay for high-end meals, alcohol and other questionable purchases, according to the comptroller’s report. Natalie Brundige, a former custodian for the Martin Police Department, received at least $174,000 over six years as a full-time employee, though she routinely worked only two hours of her scheduled 8-hour shifts, the report states. 

Thompson, who also owns a firm called One Consulting, billed the city for grant writing and administrative services completed by the firm that were already part of his official duties as economic development director, according to investigators. Randy Brundige approved the payments to the firm despite the lack of a contract between the company and the city.

In his resignation letter, Thompson listed the city’s accomplishments in his 13-year tenure and said the allegations against him are “unfounded.” 

“I conducted my work with the full approval of the mayor, the board of alderpersons and legal counsel,” Thompson wrote. “Never once … did I write a check to myself. Each check payable to me was approved, written and signed by at least four authorized employees.”

Randy Brundige brought a resolution to the board to retroactively approve One Consulting’s work for the city on Nov. 12, 2024 after investigators began to question the firm’s invoices, according to the comptroller’s report.

Meeting minutes show the board at the time — including Belote, Nanney and Hankins — unanimously approved the resolution with no questions.

‘Business as usual’

Belote said Martin’s Finance Committee, which is composed of five aldermen, a chairman and two citizens, didn’t meet as much as needed over the last three years.

Crowe, who has nearly 20 years of experience in finance, noted that he was not appointed to the finance committee.

The committee met at the behest of the mayor, Belote said, adding that he asked the mayor to call more finance meetings several times, to no avail.

“We elected a mayor — you elected a mayor – for six terms. Six terms. Now, what does that say? It says … the people of Martin wanted Randy Brundige as the mayor. And you cast that vote because you trust that person,” Belote said. “You trust that person to do their job. You trust that person to do the things that the charter requires in order to be mayor. The mayor runs the internal operations of the city. Everything comes from him.”

Hankins said the board “didn’t know anything about” the alleged misappropriations. Regarding the board’s approval of the contract with One Consulting in 2024, Belote said the board wasn’t told that Thompson owned the company.

“We’re just thinking this is business as usual,” Belote said. “So that information was not given to us. Should we have known it?”

“Yes,” a member of the audience answered.

“I don’t know, but we did not, and it wasn’t revealed to us until the eleventh hour,” Belote continued.

An audio recording of the November 2024 meeting published by The Weakley County Examiner shows the board was told that Thompson owned One Consulting prior to their vote.

Residents call for transparency; Board calls for civic participation

Martin residents who addressed the board spoke of the need for more transparency and accountability. A few reminded the board and audience that Randy Brundige, Thompson and Natalie Brundige have been charged but not yet convicted. Some residents and board members called for more community involvement in local politics.

Jordan Long, an attorney, said aldermen were using what he calls the “Shaggy Defense”: “It wasn’t me,” a reference to the popular song “It Wasn’t Me” released by Jamaican-American reggae musician Shaggy in 2000. Long read an email he sent to the board on Nov. 15, 2024 — three days after the board approved the One Consulting contract — informing them that Thompson owned the company. 

Long said it is correct that the residents of Martin voted to put Randy Brundige in office.

“We don’t pass a budget. We don’t have a level of oversight that you all do. Don’t tell us that we failed, because you failed,” he said.

Kent Kelso, a professor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, said “numerous officials,” including the Board of Aldermen, showed a “pattern of knowing and willful neglect” and breaches of the city’s charter.

Kelso called for the investigation and removal of “all personnel implicit in the misconduct … and those who have kept silent, thus aiding and abetting these issues.” He also asked for the resignation of board members and city officials who held office “throughout these years of documented corruption, fraud, malfeasance, and felonious acts.”

“Your prolonged failure of oversight is an unacceptable breach of duty,” Kelso said. “Resignation is the only honorable choice remaining.”

Joyce Washington, a resident since 2007, said the city now has a “perception problem” and needs to move forward. 

“We have to do something different than move forward with the composition of the … board as it is currently constituted,” Washington said. 

She added that some of the board meetings she has attended in the past have been short — around 10 minutes — and called for more transparency

“If we had that, we wouldn’t be sitting here tonight,” Washington said.

Reflecting on his time in office, Belote, who is 72, said he ran for all six of his terms with no opposition. For his last two terms, he waited to file his petition to see who else, if anyone, would throw their hat in the ring. No one did. 

“That’s not right for any system,” he said.

Hankins said he ran unopposed for four of his five terms. 

“Sometimes I wonder if anybody cares,” Hankins said.

He said he won’t seek reelection in 2026.