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Ex-THP commander with GOP ties says he's put politics behind him By ERIK SCHELZIG A former Tennessee Highway Patrol commander who was heavily involved in Republican politics while running the agency said today that he wouldn't let politics interfere with the law enforcement oversight commission he has been nominated to. Jerry W. Scott, who was THP colonel and later commissioner of the Safety Department under Republican Gov. Don Sundquist, has been nominated to the Peace Officers' Standards and Training Commission by Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville. "I don't think politics should be involved," Scott told The Associated Press. "It's a very serious matter in law enforcement." Scott, 61, gave $9,850 — the equivalent of more than two months' salary — to Sundquist's election efforts in 1994, according to news reports at the time. After winning election, Sundquist promoted Scott from captain to colonel. Scott and Sundquist administration officials denied that the promotion had anything to do with the contributions. Scott told reporters then that he and his wife regularly set aside money for political contributions and also borrowed money from a credit union to give to campaigns. Scott later hosted a fundraiser for Sundquist at his home, and promoted troopers who had contributed to Sundquist. Senate Democratic Leader Jim Kyle said he wants to meet with Scott in person to get assurances that political considerations will not seep into his unpaid role on the POST Commission. "This guy has an appearance of being very political — almost $10,000 is a lot of money," said Kyle, of Memphis. "He seemed like a real political guy. I don't know if he is now." Scott, of College Grove, said he put political activism behind him when he retired in 2002. "I'm just kind of working on the farm right now," he said. The Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to vote on Scott's nomination on Tuesday. Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris, who as chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee last year conducted investigations into political interference at the THP, said he had no problem with the Scott nomination. "That was way before my time," Norris, of Collierville, said of Scott's tenure at the THP. "We didn't investigate that time. We investigated real-time." One reason the panel investigated the THP was because at least five lawsuits had been filed alleging political favoritism for Democrats within the department, Norris said. The Safety Department's top three officials resigned in December 2005 following media reports about troopers with criminal backgrounds, allegations of ticket-fixing and a culture of cronyism and political arm-twisting. A study by security consultant Kroll Inc. found that personnel matters at the Highway Patrol were "rife with political favoritism at the expense of competence" and recommended placing THP officers back under the jurisdiction of the POST commission. Critics had argued that professional standards had slipped while the THP was exempt from the POST certification rules. State Republicans sent a man dressed in a bear costume to several of Gov. Phil Bredesen's campaign events, demanding he return campaign contributions made by members of the Highway Patrol. Bredesen said the Democratic Party offered to return campaign money to any trooper who asked for it. Republican gubernatorial nominee Jim Bryson unsuccessfully tried to make politics within the THP a factor during the campaign last year — even pledging to refuse any contributions from troopers. Bredesen won every county in his re-election bid. Lance Frizzell, who was Bryson's spokesman during the campaign, is now Ramsey's deputy chief of staff. Frizzell said it would be "like comparing apples to oranges" to try to liken Bryson's concerns about trooper contributions to worries about Scott's political activism while a member of the THP. The commission job is unpaid and doesn't have influence over the hiring of troopers, Frizzell said. House Transportation Chairman Phillip Pinion, D-Union City, remembered having a good working relationship with Scott. Pinion attributed Scott's political activities to "a different time" at the Tennessee Highway Patrol. "I think he'll do a fine job at the POST commission," Pinion said. Scott said he's ready to answer any questions members of the Judiciary Committee have. "I'm looking at the Democrats' point of view, and that's their right," he said. "It's up to them. I have no problem with the system." Read the full text of SR0033 on the General Assembly's Web site at: http://www.legislature.state.tn.us. |
