Bredesen to probe politicking at THP

Governor says he has never influenced personnel practices

By BRAD SCHRADE, Staff Writer, Tennessean.com
November 15, 2005

Gov. Phil Bredesen said he had never ordered anyone to be promoted in the Tennessee Highway Patrol, but planned to inquire about allegations that campaign donations and outside politics precede promotions in the agency.

Bredesen responded to questions yesterday after a Tennessean story that detailed how two-thirds of THP promotions under his administration went to officers who gave money to Bredesen's campaign, or had family members or political patrons who did. More than half in that group were promoted although they were competing against officers with higher promotion scores.

Troopers and former troopers across the state told the newspaper that political pressure, campaign donations and a culture of favors for the powerful dominate the patrol, and have for much of its history.

"I have never told anybody in my administration to make sure that somebody was promoted and somebody was hired; let me be real clear about that," Bredesen said. "I didn't do that when I was mayor (of Nashville) and I think the record clearly shows I haven't done it as governor."

Bredesen said the newspaper's findings "bother me" and that he plans to inquire further. The state's civil service system is supposed to cover most of the patrol's nearly 1,000 uniformed officers.

Bredesen made his comments just hours before heading to a fundraiser at The Coliseum. Donna Pitts, wife of THP head Col. Lynn Pitts, was on the steering committee that helped organize that event.

Two Republican state lawmakers who serve on committees that have some oversight of the THP said any problems with its promotion process should be corrected.

"If people are getting promoted because they are giving campaign contributions, that is wrong," said House Minority Leader Bill Dunn, R-Knoxville, who has served on the House Transportation Committee.

Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said that if the governor did not take steps to "clear the air" on the issues surrounding the THP's promotion process, it could fall to his committee to do so.

"The issues you've raised are of concern and they need further inquiry," Norris said.

Bredesen spoke yesterday in varying shades of toughness about the THP promotion process. The Democratic governor, who is running for re-election next year, said his inquiry would be to determine whether there's a direct connection between contributions and promotions, or if the appearance of campaign contributors on the promotion lists is more a result of an entrenched culture in an agency that has long had a reputation for being political.

"If I found that somebody had ever said to somebody, 'If you put $5,000 in the pot, $1,000 in the pot, I'll get you a promotion,' I would come down very hard on that," Bredesen said.

Asked whether the jobs of any of the top managers at the Department of Safety or Highway Patrol are in jeopardy over the issue, Bredesen wouldn't say directly. He said he wanted to remove politics from the THP and send the signal that getting ahead should be based on performance, not politics.

Later, he said: "The things that I saw quickly in that story would sort of lead you to wonder whether or not there are people who think that they need to play in some way to get ahead. I'm going to find if that's the case. That probably means talking to some people and trying to get it set straight."