It’s hard to pick out the scariest part of the still unfolding story of how unionized state government workers violated Joe the Plumber’s privacy for political ends. The Columbus Dispatch reports today that President-elect Barack Obama supporter, donor, and director of Ohio’s Department of Job and Family Services Helen Jones-Kelley “had no legitimate agency function or purpose” for pilfering the files of Joe the Plumber. Last month the Dispatch reported that Jones-Kelley personally requested state employees to search Joe’s files after Joe publically criticized then-candidate Obama.
The Inspector General report also found that Jones-Kelley committed a “wrongful act” when she used her state e-mail account to raise campaign money for Obama. The report also faulted other agency employees for their role in the computer checks on Joe and concluded: “the circumstances surrounding the unauthorized searches are exacerbated in light of the director’s sending and receiving e-mail related to a political activity through state resources.”
Ohio State Auditor Mary Taylor has called on Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland to hold Jones-Kelley accountable: “I urge Gov. Strickland, who campaigned on the promise of running an ethical administration, to ask for the resignation or terminate Ms. Jones-Kelley immediately.” So far, Jones-Kelley has only received one month unpaid leave slap on the wrist as punishment.
Now we now how serious the left actually is about ethical government and protecting your privacy.
