McKamey Manor exposure from Hulu documentary leads to lawsuit against Tennessee Attorney General

The Tennessee business owner behind a popular haunted attraction is suing the Attorney General's office, seeking a court order to ensure he won't have to testify in a state investigation he considers politically motivated.

McKamey Manor, located in Summertown, Tenn. — about 70 miles from Nashville — garnered national attention last fall after it was featured on a Hulu documentary. The exposure, though, led to concerns over business practices.

Not long after, Russ McKamey, the attraction’s owner and operator, said he was demanded by state officials to appear to answer questions.

McKamey on Friday filed a lawsuit, seeking relief for violations after he invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify during an April 8 meeting at Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti's office.

“We are aware of the lawsuit and our office will review," press secretary Tim Meads said Friday.

Carter Lawrence, who serves as the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and the State Fire Marshall, was also named in the lawsuit.

McKamey argued in the lawsuit providing testimony is not necessary for Skrmetti’s office to conduct an investigation. The suit also argued information obtained under oath could lead to discovery of evidence to be used to prosecute the McKamey Manor owner.

"It's (lawsuit) goal is simply to prohibit further violations of and retaliations against Mr. McKamey's First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendment rights, which, it should be said, have existed in this country for longer than the State of Tennessee itself," McKamey's attorney Davis Griffin said.

The same day Skrmetti filed his request for information, McKamey said an anonymous complaint was filed against the haunted attraction — to Lawrence's office — regarding a barn on the property being utilized as a special amusement facility, according to the lawsuit.

When Lawrence's office conducted an inspection of McKamey's property, it reported four building code violations, each a Class C misdemeanor.

Previously, McKamey agreed to no longer use the barn for shows — following a November 2019 complaint.

In his lawsuit, McKamey said Lawrence violated his Fourth Amendment right following the Nov. 21 search of his property. McKamey also filed a violation of his First Amendment right in the lawsuit, saying Lawrence repeatedly demanded he submit a sworn affidavit attesting that four building code violations were discovered on the property.

In Skrmetti's letter, he wrote that McKamey was engaging in unfair and deceptive business practices in violation with Tennessee Consumer Protection Act.

McKamey called Skrmetti's investigation into his business a "targeted" effort, saying the state officials are seeking to "score political points by riding the coattails of the sensationalized, one-side Hulu documentary." McKamey added that the investigation into his haunted attraction is a concerted effort to violate his constitutional rights, his right not to be compelled to self-incriminate and his right to be free of warrantless searches.

Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on X @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.