Most targets of trooper's snooping identified

Written by Brad Schrade, The Tennessean

The identities of most of the 182 people whose backgrounds were improperly checked by an ousted state patrol officer were revealed Friday night by the Tennessee Department of Safety.

The list released to The Tennessean contained the names and counties of residence of 154 people who Lt. Ronnie Shirley ran through a state criminal justice computer database.

The release came five months after Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell fired Shirley amid mounting pressure on Gov. Phil Bredesen's administration to do something about the trooper. The department had resisted releasing the names since the scandal broke in August, citing a criminal investigation.

Shirley is the politically connected officer who helped fix a speeding ticket in 2004 for Bredesen's then-right hand aide, Deputy Gov. Dave Cooley. The patrol leadership at the time concocted a fake punishment for Shirley to throw off the press and public.

Mitchell was not available for comment Friday night, but in a letter attached to the list he said any suggestion that Shirley would get a break is wrong. It's been widely speculated within the patrol that Shirley will get his job back.

"I terminated Shirley based upon the facts provided to me from this investigation," Mitchell's letter said. "His violation of the public trust is unacceptable for a Tennessee State Trooper. As long as I am the Commissioner of Safety, I have no intention of rehiring Ronnie Shirley."

Davidson County District Attorney Torry Johnson cleared Shirley of any criminal wrongdoing earlier this week. That set up the release of the list Friday.

The list released by the department withheld 28 identities, citing federal driver's license protection laws that made the information privileged.

It was heavy with the names of women whose information Shirley checked through a state criminal justice computer database. Most of the checks appear to have been of driver's license information, which includes photos, addresses and other personal information. Many of the women appeared to be from Middle Tennessee. Names on the list included an entertainer, a THP lieutenant and his wife, and two journalists.

Bredesen press secretary Lydia Lenker did not respond before deadline Friday night to an e-mail request seeking an interview with the governor.

The Shirley scandal was the most recent to rock the highway patrol, which has been a consistent source of public embarrassment during Bredesen's time in office. His appointed patrol leadership stepped down in 2005 amid a series of scandals, including allegations of political favoritism and campaign contributions preceding promotions within the patrol, a longstanding agency practice.

Hearing set for Shirley

Bredesen vowed then to clean up the department, but a subsequent series of scandals have raised questions about whether much has changed.

Mitchell's letter said Shirley has no political pull in the department.

"Shirley was treated like any other employee who violated departmental policies," the letter said. Shirley has a final civil service appeal hearing scheduled for late March. An administrative law judge will determine whether he gets his job back.

The Tennessean decided not to publicize the list for now until it could further contact some of the individuals on the list who were victims of the unauthorized searches.

Brad Schrade can be reached at 615-259-8086 or bschrade@tennessean.com.

Lt. Ronnie Shirley

Most targets of trooper's snooping identified