FBI conducts search at Ford family home

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - FBI officials say they have conducted a search warrant at a home on Summer Shade Lane.

The address is listed by the Shelby County Election Commission as the home of Edmund Ford, Sr., a city council member for district 6. Edmund Ford Jr., a Shelby County Commissioner for District 9, also lives at the home.

General Robert Carter, Attorney general for the 17th Judicial District of Tennessee, says the search is related to an ongoing criminal investigation into the ushering a $450,000 grant to the nonprofit Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South.

A report to the Shelby County Attorney says Ford violated the county’s code of ethics by failing to reveal he was selling computers to Junior Achievement back in 2019 when the agency won a large county grant.

The investigation into Junior Achievement began in 2021. Ford says he didn’t vote for the $450,000 grant to JA, a nonprofit that teaches young people entrepreneurship. Instead, Ford left the county commission chamber at the time of the vote without recusing himself after helping champion its passage.

Action News 5 attempted to reach out to Commissioner Ford via phone, e-mail and at his office at the Shelby County Government building in downtown Memphis.

We were told by a receptionist, Commissioner Ford was not in his office nor was his staff.

We asked Commission Chairman Mickell Lowrey, if an ongoing investigation put’s Ford’s seat at risk.

“This appears to be an ongoing investigation and we’ll have no comment from the commission until the investigation concludes,” said Chairman Lowrey. “If there is action that needs to be taken, then we’ll move at that time.”

When Commissioner Ford was under investigation in 2021, city council attorney Allan Wade represented him.

Action News 5 reached out to Wade Thursday asking if he was representing Ford again. He told an Action News 5 reporter “No comment”, repeatedly.

It’s unclear if Ford will face any charges.

Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South President and CEO Leigh Mansberg tells Action News 5:

“We are cooperating with the authorities.”

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris’ office released this statement related to the search:

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