Ohio - Job and Family Services Director Placed on Leave

[Mabus]

We likely all remember the little flap over the head of an Ohio department authorizing a search of "Joe the Plumbers" unemployment and child support records, I am sure.

No matter how you felt about it, and it is still under investigation, here is a little update:


Ohio suspends official who authorized 'Joe the Plumber' records search

COLUMBUS -- The state official under investigation for authorizing a personal records search of Joe the Plumber has been placed on paid administrative leave.

Ohio Job & Family Services director Helen Jones-Kelley, a supporter of President-elect Barack Obama, was suspended after a check of state computers and state e-mail found connections to political fundraising, which is not allowed on state property.

The fundraising activity related to Obama's campaign, to which Jones-Kelley contributed $2,500.

"Today, I have decided to place Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director Helen Jones-Kelley on paid administrative leave due to the possibility, as yet unconfirmed, that a state computer or state e-mail account was used to assist in political fundraising," Gov. Ted Strickland said in a statement.

Jones-Kelley was already under investigation by the state inspector general's office for authorizing a personal records search on Joseph Wurzelbacher, better known as Joe the Plumber.

"I have asked Inspector General Tom Charles to include this matter in his current, ongoing investigation," Strickland said. "Also, I have asked Cabinet Secretary Jan Allen to serve as acting director of the agency."

Wurzelbacher became an overnight celebrity last month after he questioned Democrat Obama about his tax plan while Obama was campaigning near Wurzelbacher's Toledo-area home. Several investigations are underway into government records searches launched on him afterward.

Wurzelbacher eventually became a supporter of Sen. John McCain, Obama's Republican opponent.

Jones-Kelley earns $149,000 a year.

Yep. Fund raising for Obama, a political candidate, on state time, in state emails, by this "unbiased" state official in violation of state law.

Take it for the team, Helen. Take the paid vacation, and if convicted I am sure a nice job opportunity is just a phone call away.

[Gan]

Nice

[TheRoseLady]

We likely all remember the little flap over the head of an Ohio department authorizing a search of "Joe the Plumbers" unemployment and child support records, I am sure.

No matter how you felt about it, and it is still under investigation, here is a little update:



Yep. Fund raising for Obama, a political candidate, on state time, in state emails, by this "unbiased" state official in violation of state law.

Take it for the team, Helen. Take the paid vacation, and if convicted I am sure a nice job opportunity is just a phone call away.

What not a SINGLE word of praise for the Democratic Governor who ordered the leave?

Typical of you.

[Some Rogue]

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/lrenzo2/largemarge.jpg

[Tea & Strumpets]

Tell 'em Large Marge sentcha.

[diethx]

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a64/lrenzo2/largemarge.jpg

:wtf:

[Skeeter]

I wonder if I'm qualified for that job...

[Mabus]

What not a SINGLE word of praise for the Democratic Governor who ordered the leave?

Typical of you.

I voted for Gov. Ted Strickland, and I am damn well disappointed she was only placed on paid leave. I have emailed him as someone that voted for him, asking that the matter be thoroughly investigated.

I didn't bring up that the email records were requested per Ohio law by multiple newspapers directly after the first phishing incident, but were not released until the governor gave the press release...
...at 5 PM Friday last.

They call that "burying the news" to release on Friday evening, let alone to wait till after the election to release them (not that it would have mattered much, just the principle).

The Cleveland Plain Dealer had more today then in the linked piece. It had emails from Jones-Kelly to Michael O'Neil of the Obama campaign, quoting some of them, and were from her state government email account.

They also stated that they have asked repeatedly for the policy about "checking any celebrities" that was used as an excuse, but to quote the newspaper, "Her agency, however, has not produced any written policy to back that up."

It would be good to see if all emails have been released, and if any private accounts were also used from the same office.

Just hoping for a change to a cleaner, more transparent and less corrupt state government here in the big Buckeye State.

[Mabus]

Cleveland Plain Dealer Story: (http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/11/joe_the_plumber_dispute_gets_2.html)

Joe the Plumber dispute gets 2 Ohio Department of Job and Family Services officials suspended

COLUMBUS -- Fallout from the Joe the Plumber records check controversy continued to rain down Friday as a pair of high-ranking Ohio Department of Job and Family Services officials were suspended without pay.

Deputy Director of Child Support Doug Thompson was suspended without pay for four weeks while the agency's Assistant Director Fred Williams was given a two-week suspension without pay by acting Director Jan Allen. The pair joins Director Helen Jones-Kelley, who was suspended without pay for one month by Gov. Ted Strickland on Thursday.

A state inspector general's report concluded that Jones-Kelley had improperly allowed digging by underlings into Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher's state records for "no legitimate agency purpose."

Better known as Joe the Plumber, Wurzelbacher is the Northwest Ohio man who became an overnight celebrity in October after asking a tax policy question of then-Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

The report said that Jones-Kelley, Thompson and Williams were all involved in the discussion on whether to check Wurzelbacher's confidential records, but none could recall details or justify how the search satisfied criteria. It also singled out Thompson for criticism, saying he "attempted to deceive" by orchestrating an e-mail from an administrative aide to the agency's privacy officer that said the records check was done for child support purposes.

Deputy Directors Paul Franholz and Judy Cicatello were given written reprimands for allowing the checks to go forward. All four employees disciplined Friday will undergo professional development counseling and agencywide ethics training.

Like I said, a slap on the wrists for an illegal private government record search, done for political reasons. It is surprising that the investigation did find wrongfoing, as I had thought the Ohio Dem's might hope to bury it in a lengthy investigation.

Just when I was hoping Gov. Strickland was going to make an example of them, one month off paid and one month off (and two weeks off) without pay is what they get as a punishment. We can only guess what a private citizen would get for the same offense.

[Sean of the Thread]

You guys are fucking killing me.