President Donald Trump’s nominee to the Tennessee Valley Authority Board, Nashville businessman Lee Beaman, faced a series of pointed questions Wednesday as Senate Democrats pressed him on political activities, past controversies, and his stated commitment to TVA’s public power structure.
The hearing focused heavily on Beaman’s ties to Rep. Andy Ogles, including his service as the congressman’s campaign treasurer for four months during the 2022 election cycle.
Democrats cited findings from the Office of Congressional Ethics that reported “substantial reason to believe” Ogles accepted unlawfully large donations and misreported them as personal funds.
Beaman confirmed his role on the campaign and told senators he would answer written questions related to the filings.
He said he did not sign the disputed financial report at the center of the inquiry and first learned of the allegation months later through news coverage.
Lawmakers also questioned Beaman’s involvement in a December 2020 letter urging battleground-state legislatures to appoint alternate electors for Donald Trump.
Beaman told the committee he no longer holds the views expressed in the letter and now accepts the 2020 presidential results as legitimate.
He added that any attempt to overturn the election through violence was “way off base.”
Senators also raised past allegations from Beaman’s divorce, citing news reports that detailed those accusations.
Beaman said he would respond to follow-up questions but did not address the allegations in detail during the hearing.
Steve Berger, a pastor and longtime friend of Beaman, also came up during the hearing.
Senators pointed to prior comments attributed to Berger about LGBTQ people.
Berger has been quoted as saying, “If I was left to myself, I’d take a baseball bat and beat the hell out of every single one of them. And not feel bad about it.”
He then added, “I have to go, ‘You know what? That’s probably not the will of God, is it?’ And obviously it’s not.”
Beaman told senators he had never heard Berger make such statements and said he does not agree with them.
Democrats also pressed Beaman on his understanding of TVA’s mission, including its obligation to remain a public utility and its role in long-term resource planning.
Beaman said he supports TVA’s continued operation as a government-owned utility and would oppose any effort to privatize the agency or outsource its essential functions.
He said he intends to study TVA’s generation options more closely as the board updates its long-range planning and resource strategies.
Tennessee Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty voiced strong support for Beaman’s nomination.
Blackburn said Beaman had “decades of experience in business leadership, community service, and organizational governance” and would help TVA “make energy plentiful and affordable” for the region.
Hagerty called Beaman “an exceptional Tennessean” and said his background gives him the ability “to guide TVA’s long-term goals with steady and effective leadership.”
The committee has not yet set a date for a confirmation vote.
