NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Top officials at the Tennessee Highway Patrol say they are firing a trooper found to have made unauthorized background checks.

The Safety Department suspended Lt. Ronnie Shirley last month after investigators said he used his position to conduct 182 background checks, most of them not authorized.

Department officials said Wednesday that Shirley has been sent a termination letter and is entitled to a hearing.

The department said their investigators have interviewed 139 people and 132 of them said they hadn't asked Shirley to check their records.

Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell said, "There is no evidence whatsoever of any political motivation behind the unauthorized checks conducted by Lieutenant Shirley."

Shirley used an internal Web portal that doesn't include criminal background records, and much of the information he looked at is available to the general public -- though often for a fee.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)