Today's Tennessean has an article that may have a clue about the real reason that Tennessee Dep. Gov. Dave Cooley is now thinking about resigning his office and returning to private life. See Part I (above) and click on the link to the Tennessean's November 9th article about Cooley.
It looks like Cooley's real reason for thinking about resigning may be related to a federal hearing in Knoxville this morning concerning his infamous ticket-fixing episode.
Cooley is probably not "resting" and "talking" today because the ticket-fixing deal was only one of many instances where Cooley used and abused his office for personal and family gain. Click here for my February 11 post about Dave and Melanie and their actions. And here for another post on February 26.
What prompts all this?
Well, it seems that the TBI case file of Deputy Gov. Dave Cooley's fixed ticket investigation will be the topic of a federal hearing in Knoxville today.
A former Tennessee Highway Patrol officer, who is suing Cooley, the department and several of its former top leaders, wants access to the file. Bryan Farmer, a former lieutenant, claims in a federal lawsuit that he was harassed and forced from the department by the Democratic administration because he supported the Republican party. His attorney, Arthur F. Knight, wants to review the file to search for evidence that may bolster Farmer's case.
The state is withholding the file, claiming it is not a public record. State law says TBI investigative files are closed and not subject to inspection, except in a few narrow exceptions. One of those is in the face of a subpoena or court order. Cooley said last week he is considering leaving his position as Gov. Phil Bredesen's top deputy to return to the private sector.
Connect the dots....
Read the full text of today's November 15 article for more background on how Cooley's first act under Bredesen was to push to get his wife hired by the Department of Safety. And then she pushed to get her brother hired on. And then the ticket-fixing. And campaign donations for promotions. And then...
Conflicts of interest and personal and family gain are the driving forces behind far too many elected officials. In fact, they have become such a staple of government that the public---and elected officials--- just nod and go on.
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