term, a Nashville television station, NewsChannel 5, uncovered evidence businesses owned by Sundquist's friends were illegally given no-bid contracts by the state. In December of that year, the FBI raided the offices of Education Networks of America (ENA), founded by Sundquist's friend, Al Ganier, as part of an investigation into whether or not Ganier used his relationship with Sundquist to obtain millions of dollars worth of state contracts (including the ConnectTenn contract). Ganier eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized use of a computer. In May 2004, a Labor Department employee, Joanna Ediger, was convicted of rigging a $2 million state contract for Workforce Strategists, a company owned by another Sundquist friend, John Stamps. The following year, Stamps pleaded guilty to four counts of tax evasion and one count of making false statements. U.S. District Judge Karl Forester said Sundquist was the "impetus" for the investigations, although he was never implicated in any wrongdoing, nor were any senior members of his administration. In July 2005, Sundquist was named head of a national panel on improving Medicaid. Sundquist is a lobbyist and works for the firm he co-founded, Sundquist Anthony. He also served as state vice chair of the John McCain presidential campaign team. Sundquist's papers are held at the University of Tennessee Libraries. Honours Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd Class, Gold and Silver Star (2018) References External links National Governors Association Don Sundquist Papers (Finding Aid), University of Tennessee Libraries |- |- 1936 births Republican Party governors of Tennessee Living people American Lutherans American people of German descent American people of Swedish descent Augustana College (Illinois) alumni United States Navy sailors People from Blount County, Tennessee People from Moline, Illinois Military personnel from Illinois Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American politicians Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd class Members of Congress who became lobbyists