Close to home

The news on the Tennessee State trooper accessing private computer files for possibly political reasons was big in the news the last few months...now a similar situation hits close to home.

Wilson County Commissioner Chris Sorey used a state Web site to run unauthorized background checks on citizens, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says.

Sorey misused what's known as the Criminal Justice Portal to access private records while he was a member of the Smyrna Airport's police department, TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm said. His actions came to light during an audit of the portal's use, she said.

Helm would not identify those whose backgrounds were checked, but Mt. Juliet City Manager Randy Robertson has told his employees that the portal was used to run private information on some city employees and a person of prominence within the city.

He was placed on suspension and has since resigned to work elsewhere, but it is a troubling occurrence of old school politics that raises its head more often then anyone would like.

He says he had a good reason to do it.

"Any activity that has taken place regarding the alleged misuse of the integrated criminal justice portal system was done in connection with my investigation of the past and ongoing fire code violations" in Mt. Juliet, within his district and elsewhere, he said earlier this week. "... I am very concerned that I now seem to be the subject of the investigation instead of officials addressing any possible safety issues."

The Smyrna airport has its access to the criminal justice website blocked for the current time.