Joe The Plumber Fallout

Now we know the price a government official will pay when they invade a private citizens privacy - A one month unpaid suspension. That's it.

Here's what the AG said:

Director Jones-Kelley's authorization of the searches done on Wurzelbacher did not satisfy the Ohio Administrative Code requirement that access to ODJFS' confidential database systems
must be related to an "agency function or purpose." Although the Director indicated that it was
agency practice to search ODJFS databases when someone is "thrust quickly into the public
spotlight," we found no policies or procedures to support her.

Governor Strickland via Glass City Jungle:

"Helen Jones-Kelley has dedicated her life to helping the most vulnerable among us. She is recognized nationally as an expert in the field of foster care and she has worked commendably for many years as an advocate for children, families and workers in her native Montgomery County and the state of Ohio. I value her contributions to the state and her local community.

"However, I accept the Inspector General's judgment that there was not an adequate business purpose for the searches in question. I also accept his determination that her personal Blackberry was inappropriately synchronized, resulting in emails she perceived to be personal being transmitted through governmental email resources. Therefore, today I have issued a one-month unpaid suspension for Director Helen Jones-Kelley. Additionally, I am issuing a management directive – applicable to all state agencies, boards and commissions – regarding the proper use of state databases to help ensure that a situation such as this never happens again."

I don't know. Seems to me that the best way to ensure it doesn't happen again is to fire someone responsible for making it happen in the first place. Oh and both the Governor and Jones-Kelly are Democrats.

The broader context is important here. The Democrats made huge gains statewide in OH on the backs of Republican scandal around governor Taft, Ney, etc. The Republicans were fired. The Democrats promised to be ethical and end the "culture of corruption". But Democratic AG elected in 2006 is already out on his ear in a scandal (where Gov Strickland did the right thing) and this Jones-Kelly thing will help the OH GOP in 2010 because Strickland did not do the right thing.

OH lefty bloggers understand this:

As a civil libertarian, I am offended whenever anyone's privacy is violated by a government agent with nothing better to do than to see if there's some dirt on a private citizen. Whatever one thinks of "Joe the Plumber," nothing would warrant the kind of baseless snooping in violation of Ohio privacy regulations that Director Jones-Kelley engaged in. Couple with her partisan campaign fundraising using state resources, she should be terminated. As a director of a government agency, she is expect to be a role model for the rest of the agency. She's paid to provide professional, competent government service. Instead, this is embrassing and disgraceful. Governor Strickland's office is also just receiving the report today, but I hope to hear before the end of business tomorrow that Director Jones-Kelley has been terminated for cause.

As for Joe The Plumber himself, I have a feeling he'll be alright. Maybe Jones-Kelly will get a chapter.