cooley

The Tennessee Highway Patrol now says it won't release the list of 182 targets of the unauthorized criminal background checks run by Lt Ronnie Shirley, the trooper with ties to the Bredesen administration. The THP's rationale: it claims the list is "evidence" in a possible criminal case.

NewsChannel5 is reporting that Lt. Shirley is telling his side of the story, essentially that he did nothing wrong—just doing his job.

From 5:

A state trooper accused of using a law enforcement database for unauthorized background checks is telling his side of the story.

Just a Nosy officer gone wild as Governor Bredesen claims OR more nefarious Democratic hard-ball politics against those that fought Bredesen's Bunker (Ralph Bristol opined this morning).

Just a Nosy officer gone wild as Governor Bredesen claims OR more nefarious Democratic hard-ball politics against those that fought Bredesen's Bunker (Ralph Bristol opined this morning).

From Brad Schrade:

The state trooper who fixed then-Deputy Gov. Dave Cooley’s speeding ticket is being investigated on allegations that he ran unauthorized criminal background checks on private citizens and state employees.

Tom Humphrey reveals the web of associations between the Bredesen administration and AT&T, a companies which was just awarded a 10 year contract with the state while other bids for the job remain unopened due to technical mistakes:

I’m on the bus now, on our way home from South Carolina. Today Caedmon’s played after a game of the River Dogs, Charleston’s AAA baseball team. The stadium was really cool, on the edge of a peninsula, and the walkway all around the outside of the building looked out over the marsh. A bit surreal, and really gorgeous.

Two lobbyists have a query in with the AG do see just how far the new ethics laws go. From the Tennessee Journal:

Tom Humphrey has a extremely intriguing article this morning covering the “non-lobbying” work two former Bredesen administration officials are doing on behalf of the two sides of the AT&T Cable conflict up at Legislative Plaza.

John Rodgers reminds us of an interesting tidbit to the news of the end of Bill Richardson’s campaign for President: the support of former Bredesen right hand Dave Cooley.