Troopers with criminal charges used politicians as job references
Some legislators contacted by The Tennessean said they were not aware of the criminal charges on the records of the people they went to bat for.
In some cases, the legislators said they did not even personally know the officer when they made the recommendation.
If someone wants to become a trooper, “basically everyone tends to go to an office holder,” for a recommendation, said state Rep. Harry Tindell, D-Knoxville, who endorsed one of the troopers on the list, according to state records.
He said he didn’t know of the officer’s background, but said such recommendations were routine.
Troopers with criminal charges also have a history of giving money to politicians, The Tennesean found. Most donations went to Gov. Phil Bredesen, but some were made to former Gov. Don Sundquist; Bredesen’s 2002 opponent, Van Hilleary; state House members and a senator.
Bredesen said following last week’s resignation of Tennessee Highway Patrol Col. Lynn Pitts that a culture of cronyism pervades the patrol.
Last week, Bredesen also accepted the resignation of Safety Commissioner Fred Phillips and retirement of Deputy Commissioner Tom Moore amid allegations of political favoritism and mismanagement at the Department of Safety.
“It looks to me like a department that’s taking care of its own,” Bredesen said Thursday evening. “It’s not acceptable anywhere. It’s especially not acceptable in a law-enforcement agency.”
Constituents often asked former state Rep. Wayne Ritchie for recommendations for themselves or their records. Ritchie, now a Knoxville attorney, in 1993 recommended James Wyatt for the Public Service Commission’s police force, which would later become part of the highway patrol. Wyatt mentioned his 1990 DUI charge on his application, but didn’t mention a 1987 assault charge.
Wyatt’s current personnel file does not indicate that state officials followed up on the charge to learn its disposition or the circumstances of it.
Ritchie said he doesn’t recall the particulars of Wyatt’s application, but said he doubts he would have recommended Wyatt if he had known of the man’s past. The supervisor of the department where Wyatt wanted to work, Gary Long, asked for the letter of recommendation, Ritchie said.
“I think agencies hired who they wanted based on their criteria and who they thought was best,” he said. “I think they would give any letter of recommendation the weight they thought appropriate.”