Leonard Ray Blanton (April 10, 1930 – November 22, 1996)[1][2] was an American businessman and politician who served as the 44th governor of Tennessee from 1975 to 1979.

Though he initiated a number of government reforms and was instrumental in bringing foreign investment to Tennessee, his term as governor was marred by scandal over the selling of pardons and liquor licenses.

[3] While working with his family's road company, he occasionally got into fights at bars in Tennessee and Mississippi, and was once grazed in the neck by a stray bullet.

[3] Blanton graduated from Shiloh High School in 1948, and obtained a bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of Tennessee in 1951.

[1] In 1966, Blanton ran for Congress, challenging 12-term incumbent and former Crump machine ally Tom J. Murray in the Democratic primary for Tennessee's 7th congressional district, which was based in Jackson and included Adamsville.

He instead focused on his constituents, namely by trying to acquire funding for projects in Tennessee, including the state's first Head Start Program.

[7] He spent a great deal of time at his district office responding to voter concerns, and frequently spoke to groups of students.

With just 23% of the vote,[1] he defeated several well-financed opponents, including flamboyant East Tennessee banker Jake Butcher, Nashville news anchor Hudley Crockett, and former Senator Ross Bass.

He made several trips to Africa, the Middle East, Japan, and Europe, in an effort to form economic partnerships with foreign investors.

[3] He and his aides charged $21,000 to state accounts for bar tabs, limousine rentals, and personal phone calls, though they eventually paid the money back.

[3] Blanton was criticized for setting up a large network of county patronage officials, stating they were his political advisers.

Charles Bell, Commissioner of General Services, resigned, and Sonny McCarter, director of the state's Surplus Property Division, pleaded guilty to two counts of embezzlement.

[1] On December 15, 1978, the FBI raided the state capitol, and seized documents from the office of Blanton's legal advisor, T. Edward Sisk.

[1] On January 15, 1979, near the end of his term, Blanton issued pardons to 52 state prisoners,[10] including 20 convicted murderers.

[4] Among those pardoned was Roger Humphreys, the son of a Blanton supporter, who had been convicted of killing his ex-wife and a male companion in 1973.

[1] In June 2021, Tennessee officials linked the 1979 murder of Chattanooga businessman Samuel Pettyjohn, who was working with the FBI, to the Blanton administration.

Senator Fred Thompson, who had served as Ragghianti's lawyer, launched his acting career in this picture, portraying himself.