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Blake Swicord says GSP firing is not warranted

Swicord says his actions and the allegations that came from this investigation didn't warrant his termination.

It's been one week since the Georgia State Patrol upheld the firing of GSP Post 33 Commander Blake Swicord in Milledgeville.

That's after a nearly 10-month investigation and an appeal by Swicord.

He says he's been getting paid to sit on his couch for nearly a year while the Georgia State Patrol investigated him, an organization Swicord has served for 17 years.

Swicord says his actions and the allegations that came from this investigation didn't warrant his termination.

“They said, 'You've received an allegation of misconduct and we're going to release you from the department,'" Swicord said. "And I'm like, 'What?'”

Blake Swicord says he was blindsided when the Georgia State Patrol fired him last week.

Now, a box is all he has left of his 23-year career in law enforcement, and 17 years at the Georgia State Patrol.

“I put my life in jeopardy and on the line, and when I need them, this is how they treat me," Swicord questioned.

Swicord's dismissal came after a nearly 10-month investigation.

It started when Eugene Britt III, also known as Trey Britt, told the FBI he purchased guns from Swicord.

GSP's report says Britt was a convicted felon, and his past associations with Britt has eroded the trust of the Department of Public Service.

Swicord says the biggest discrepancy he has with the claims are those that he worked security and was paid for it on Luke Bryan's farm tour after GSP denied his request.

He says a ledger was found in Britt's possession after the FBI raided his home in February.

“It was a ledger from Trey Britt's company to Luke Bryan's company, and I didn't get paid by it, it wasn't an official document. It's not a W-2, it wasn't submitted to the government," Swicord said.

Swicord says when he appealed his firing, he presented the patrol an affidavit he says is from Luke Bryan's attorney saying he never worked for Bryan, but the state upheld their decision.

The patrol also says in their report that Swicord asked an officer in Tybee to “fix” a ticket for his girlfriend. Swicord denies that, saying he only asked the officer to change the court date, and the officer voluntarily offered to reduce the ticket to a warning.

The patrol also says Swicord sent and received explicit messages on his work phone, which Swicord admits was a policy violation.

“I admitted within the first five minutes that I was violating policy, that I was using my phone for personal reasons," Swicord said. "I understood that there was probably going to be some discipline that was associated with that.”

But Swicord says he never expected to be fired. He says this investigation has ruined his career.

“I've sold my house, I've got to find a new career, but I fight this every day that I'm not going to let this define me," Swicord said.

Swicord says he is still hoping to further his appeals process with the Georgia State Patrol.

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