MEMPHIS, TN – Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons announced Friday that the D.A.’s office has initiated an investigation into actions taken by Memphis City Attorney Elbert Jefferson to determine if those actions warrant his ouster from office.

Under Tennessee law, the district attorney has the duty to file an ouster suit against a public official “holding any office of trust or profit” upon receiving notice that the employee has committed misconduct in office or has neglected to perform his duties.  The ouster statute also provides one of the few instances in which a district attorney has the power to issue a subpoena without initiating a grand jury or court proceeding.

District Attorney Gibbons said that Friday his office issued subpoenas to certain individuals requiring their testimony and requested from the Memphis City Attorney’s Office a number of records and documents related to the investigation. At this point the investigation has not limited its focus on any specific incident.

At this time, Gibbons has decided not to intervene in the special proceedings lawsuit currently pending in Chancery Court filed by Attorney Ronald Krelstein.  That lawsuit alleges that it was illegal for the city of Memphis to pay the legal fees of Joseph Lee, former president of Memphis Light, Gas & Water.  Gibbons believes that the ouster investigation will be the more appropriate course of action at this time.