Joe the Plumber snoop gets a month’s suspension; Update: AOL Hot Seat Poll added
posted at 2:30 pm on November 21, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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Helen Jones-Kelley will get a month off without pay for her unauthorized snooping into the records of Joe Wurzelbacher after the states’ Inspector General called her probe “without any legitimate business purpose”. Criminal investigations will continue, but Republican lawmakers are not happy with the outcome:
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Director Helen Jones-Kelley was found to have acted improperly both in her authorization to use ODJFS confidential databases to search for information on “Joe the Plumber” and in her use of state resources to engage in political activity in a report issued Thursday by the state’s Inspector General (IG) Thomas Charles.
In response, Gov. Ted Strickland late on Thursday announced that he was suspending Jones-Kelley for one month without pay, saying that he values “her contributions to the state and her local community” but that he accepts the IG’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.”
The IG had a further comment about Jones-Kelley’s activities. Her defenders, Strickland among them, have tried to excuse her violations by noting that the information she retrieved didn’t get released to the press. No one can actually be certain of that, but even taken as a given, the IG says Jones-Kelley’s other political activities on the job call her motives into serious question.
Nor did the IG buy her excuses on those other points. Jones-Kelley tried telling the IG that any activities conducted on her Blackberry were private, but the IG noted that Jones-Kelley uses the Blackberry for work. She had it synchronized with the state’s e-mail system for that purpose. Her rationales for conducting the probes came from “blogs and hearsay” and no legitimate sources of inquiry. Overall, the conclusion can easily be reached that Jones-Kelley abused her power for partisan electoral purposes.
That’s certainly what Ohio Republicans have concluded. Senate President Bill Harris accused Jones-Kelley of misleading him when he demanded answers after her probes came to light. Harris and state Senator Tim Grendell both called for Strickland to fire Jones-Kelley, and Harris wants her deputy, Douglas Thompson, fired as well. Thompson tried to cover up the violation by demanding that employees write justifications after the fact for the probes.
Both officials should be fired immediately. Strickland’s month off without pay amounts to little more than a slap on the wrist for official abuse of power. Perhaps Strickland doesn’t see that as a firing offense, but I suspect Ohioans have a different perspective. In a month, Jones-Kelley and her crew may start investigating them as well, and for just as much pretext as Joe the Plumber.
Fox News adds this report:
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Shocker.
PBoilermaker on November 21, 2008 at 2:32 PM
Weak sauce.
BadgerHawk on November 21, 2008 at 2:35 PM
Some how I think with arbitration she will get all that lost pay back, or under the table.
grapeknutz on November 21, 2008 at 2:35 PM
pffft. Now give JTP 10 million for invasion of privacy.
johnnyU on November 21, 2008 at 2:36 PM
A travesty. What would happen if a white Republican office-holder rifled the files of a black Democratic voter?
VastRightWingConspirator on November 21, 2008 at 2:37 PM
Fry her, I mean, Fire her.
HornetSting on November 21, 2008 at 2:37 PM
A slap on the wrist. How about firing the culprits and actually having a trial? There has to be a severe punishment for such an invasion of privacy.
jencab on November 21, 2008 at 2:38 PM
Can we hope that the criminal investigation will yield meaningful consequences? For the encouragement of others, she should be hammered hard. Hopefully JTP will be able to sue her and win a worthwhile settlement.
DAT60A3 on November 21, 2008 at 2:39 PM
Clearly she got suspended for being caught …
;)
(so sad I gotta laugh)
eforhan on November 21, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Joe-the ACLU never contacted you bcs you are not Gay, Black, a woman,Communist, Democrat, etc…
Badger40 on November 21, 2008 at 2:42 PM
“I’m amazed at where my country is going” – Joe Wurzelbacher
He should take this as high as possible, not for the money, but to teach all of America a new lesson on liberties, and their protection.
On this chic – she’s a little fish. No matter, needs deeper frying. However, her higher ups should be shamed and made to pay lavishly, financially, ethically, criminally, and politically.
Schadenfreude on November 21, 2008 at 2:42 PM
Damn straight! Don’t let these double-standard bastards get away with this. Wurzelbacher, you are the martyr, the new perennial stain on the Obama reign of terror.
whitetop on November 21, 2008 at 2:44 PM
I find these comments racist.
jacrews on November 21, 2008 at 2:45 PM
OR an illegal alien, oh right, you got them in there…democrat. My bad.
HornetSting on November 21, 2008 at 2:46 PM
And Tom Shipley and Dave Rywall will chip in with why this is no big deal, everyone does it, no one got hurt, yadda yadda yadda, any minute now.
rbj on November 21, 2008 at 2:50 PM
I would gladly take that punishment for the pleasure of getting all of the personal information on her, from government records. The only problem would be finding a media outlet that would be willing to destroy a liberal.
Star20 on November 21, 2008 at 2:51 PM
Did she commit perjury?
marklmail on November 21, 2008 at 2:52 PM
Nothing less than firing her arse will satisfy me.
Kini on November 21, 2008 at 2:54 PM
I don’t know man, a month w/o pay puts a huge dent in my beer budget.
RMCS_USN on November 21, 2008 at 2:54 PM
…..Bill Clinton….she’s a democrap…doesn’t matter.
HornetSting on November 21, 2008 at 2:55 PM
Wow. They didn’t even make her write
“I will not abuse the power of the State to carry out personal and political vendettas, which should land me in prison for many, many years.”
on the blackboard 100 times.
I guess they figure she knows that. Okay. No dessert for a week should teach her a lesson.
progressoverpeace on November 21, 2008 at 2:56 PM
I’m surprised she didn’t get promoted.
Yeah, I’m sure she won’t be (wink, wink) reimbursed somehow for a job well done.
Not sure when Strickland is up for re-election, but he just gift-wrapped a campaign issue for his opponent.
JammieWearingFool on November 21, 2008 at 2:57 PM
Did I miss the [sarcasm] tag? Example? Otherwise, if you’re serious, you can shove it.
UndertheBridge on November 21, 2008 at 2:59 PM
She’s a democrat. Nothing will happen. Only republicans can break the law. Haven’t you learned ANYthing in the last 16 years?
Wino on November 21, 2008 at 3:03 PM
Keep squawking, HA & weakling Republicans. It will do no good. Dems will make sure that there are hundreds of Jones-Kelleys to take her place, while Joe’s fate will be legally similar to that of Terri Schiavo.
I’m not celebrating, just stating the pathetic facts. Dems have the political power to make whatever they want to happen, happen. They have the lawyers, the academia, and the intelligentsia, pseudo or not.
jay12 on November 21, 2008 at 3:04 PM
She should be fired.
SoulGlo on November 21, 2008 at 3:04 PM
I hope that Joe seeks compensation thru the civil courts to teach these people a lesson. What she received was a slap on the wrist.
Aggie85 on November 21, 2008 at 3:16 PM
Did you know that Inspector General could not find a political motivation for the snoop?
Sir Napsalot on November 21, 2008 at 3:17 PM
Can Joe sue her personally for violating his civil right?
aunursa on November 21, 2008 at 3:22 PM
She tripped on the way to her desk and her fingers accidentally hit the keys to bring up Joe’s file as she was trying to break her fall. Happens all the time.
progressoverpeace on November 21, 2008 at 3:22 PM
Clearly there was a racist motivation behind the suspension of this hardworking public servant.
Someone should call a community organizer, immediately.
irishspy on November 21, 2008 at 3:29 PM
If that were the case, the white republican office holder would have been fired immediately, arrested, and prosecuted, period.
She’s black, a woman, and democrat. Also known as a “hat-trick” so she’s got a pass for all of it. If she was also an amputee, she’d get a extra bonus for being a “quad-minority”.
One month off and she’ll get promoted, and yes, she’ll get the back pay too.
Tim Zank on November 21, 2008 at 3:32 PM
What a joke. Joe needs to sue her ass off, and he should include Ohio’s useless Governor in the suit for good measure.
CantCureStupid on November 21, 2008 at 3:37 PM
“Can Joe sue her personally for violating his civil right?”
Even though she is a state employee, in my opinion she can be sued under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in her individual capacity.
guido911 on November 21, 2008 at 3:46 PM
The ACLU will step in as soon as Jones-Kelley tries to keep Joe from marrying another man.
snaggletoothie on November 21, 2008 at 3:49 PM
C’mon…is this a surprise? She’s a threefer – black, female, democrat.
She could eat her own crap on Pay-Per-View and they’d still vouch for her sweet breath.
LimeyGeek on November 21, 2008 at 3:54 PM
It is hopeless people. The Dems operate under rules that would put all the rest of us in jail.
duff65 on November 21, 2008 at 3:55 PM
This is what I was wondering. This isn’t the end is it? I want blood – I mean, a trial. JTP needs to sue.
XWing5 on November 21, 2008 at 3:58 PM
Strickland has now become an accomplice and could be impeached. Sanctioning abuse of power for partisan political purposes is an impeachable offense.
Impeachment is not used enough.
Also, anyone fired for the same thing this b!#*h did ought to sue the State of Ohio for all their back pay. If a month off with pay is the sanction for Jones-Kelly, firing is unfair.
Right_of_Attila on November 21, 2008 at 4:10 PM
Not in a fascist state. Welcome to the new world.
progressoverpeace on November 21, 2008 at 4:14 PM
I Hope she Changes her ways during her vacation.
Kevin in Washington State on November 21, 2008 at 4:16 PM
/spits
Kevin in Washington State on November 21, 2008 at 4:19 PM
She will be Assistant Attorney General in the new Obamite administration. Her leave is only a transition to her new digs.
Her duties will include acting as Reichsfurer for the new Civilian Security Force and head of the Obama Youth. Also will be in charge of re-education for those who need to have their thinking adjusted
She has a very pleasant Himmler-esque smirk, don’t you think?
Kuffar on November 21, 2008 at 4:34 PM
It’s a vacation, not a punishment.
Oink on November 21, 2008 at 4:52 PM
Nothing less than dismissal is what she deserves. She violated a sacred trust toward the people she serves by trying to find some dirt on Joe the Plumber and should pay an equal consequence for her actions. She is so typical of so many of the political class these days. They feel entitled to do whatever they wish, as it is for the “common good”, as *only* they see it.
I do hope that Joe Wurzelbacher finds a good attorney and files a really damagine lawsuit against her and the Ohio administration for the other violations, along with a huge payout including damages. Might wake some of those complacent Ohio residents up.
Webrider on November 21, 2008 at 5:14 PM
Ed, I don’t like how you worded your question. Its not fair because she should be fired. I don’t know how to answer it.
ctmom on November 21, 2008 at 5:15 PM
Hey, I blogged Hotair.com from my office computer. Can I take the next month off, too?
VastRightWingConspirator on November 21, 2008 at 5:18 PM
The answer is “No” There’s a option for “it’s too much” and this clearly is too little.
rbj on November 21, 2008 at 5:20 PM
Actually a month is not long enough and there should be charges brought against her
ConservativePartyNow on November 21, 2008 at 5:27 PM
Should have had on their, should she have been fired….. YES
reshas1 on November 21, 2008 at 5:36 PM
Strickland should fire her and the assistant.
Buckeye Babe on November 21, 2008 at 5:41 PM
Suspended??? She should have been fired.
jasetaro on November 21, 2008 at 5:46 PM
I don’t know if I would call this a “vacation”.
It’s more like a “sabbatical” which she’s probably using to shop her book around.
malclave on November 21, 2008 at 5:48 PM
Time for joe to:
1.Sue the state of OH
2.Sue her personally
3.keep suing til they all get fired
UNREPENTANT CONSERVATIVE CAPITOLIST on November 21, 2008 at 5:55 PM
President-Elect Barack H. Obama has spoken out against this invasion of privacy, right?
Hello?
Jim Treacher on November 21, 2008 at 6:02 PM
They should both be fired. Strickland hasn’t done them any favors by protecting them, since Wurzelbacher will undoubtedly sue them personally, and the state.
Hope the taxpayers of Ohio get slaughtered on this. They deserve whatever they get.
Jaibones on November 21, 2008 at 6:09 PM
This is disgusting. I hope Joe the plumber and his attornies clean Ohio’s clock. And then when the state is bankrupt and has to go begging to congress, this nasty wench has to go before them and explain herself.
anniekc on November 21, 2008 at 6:12 PM
She not only violated State and Federal Child Support regulations, she lied about it. She should be fired ASAP. But since I firmly believe Strickland ordered the search that will never happen.
pat on November 21, 2008 at 6:16 PM
Sue the assistant, and everyone else, at any agency, who accessed his records or authorized doing so. Sue Gov. Strickand for creating the environment that condones such behavior by appointing people who think this stuff is OK.
Sue pretty much everyone the lawyer can think of.
The Monster on November 21, 2008 at 6:22 PM
Don’t forget Jennifer Brunner, Sec. of State. She’d be at the top of my list. She has been less than honest. Used to be a Buckeye and if I still lived there I would be calling for her to be removed. She’s a disgrace. Sue ‘em all.
BetseyRoss on November 21, 2008 at 6:29 PM
Jones-Kelley needs to prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, not only should she lose her job but she needs to visit the inside of a jail cell for maybe a year or so.
nelsonknows on November 21, 2008 at 6:50 PM
Imagine if this “woman” had been a Republican?
nelsonknows on November 21, 2008 at 6:52 PM
I’m relatively new at this, but it seems like all of us who are expressing our outrage here should be able to do it in a more meaningful way.
Anyone got any ideas?
I’m thinking in terms of a massive influx of emails and/or telephone calls to…whom? The governor of Ohio? The ACLU? Prominent Ohio newspapers (if any still exist)?
sanguine1 on November 21, 2008 at 6:57 PM
Since she didn’t possess the integrity needed for her position to begin with its kind of hard to vote fair.
She shouldn’t have been hired and in a month she’s in contact with private information again.
Speakup on November 21, 2008 at 6:59 PM
Is there a Republican ambulance chaser, I mean lawyer, willing to do a little pro bono work or are they all afraid they will get their records investigated?
dhunter on November 21, 2008 at 7:01 PM
My policemen son and grandson would have been promptly fired for this sort of unauthorized activity and this woman should be too.
jeanie on November 21, 2008 at 7:07 PM
Weren’t there several other Departments who were also…uh… plumbing the state databases illegally?
eeyore on November 21, 2008 at 7:07 PM
Powerfully weak…
This is pathetic.
Claypigeon on November 21, 2008 at 7:10 PM
Run for governor, Joe !
It’s time for Governor Plumber to bring real honesty and
integrity back to Columbus.
silverfox on November 21, 2008 at 7:12 PM
I am sure she will be in a few months after her return to work…when the MSM stops focusing on her…oh, wait
ihasurnominashun on November 21, 2008 at 7:22 PM
Here’s a method of response I have heard of:
Pick a city on Ohio, and find out who represents them in Congress.
Create an email address on yahoo, hotmail, or some such free service.
When you fill out your profile, only list your town
Pick your ‘name’ carefully; I wonder how many Robert Smith’s there are in Columbus, anyway? certainly too many to be able to determine if you are legit or not?
Write ‘your’ Ohio Representative, both Senators, the Governor, Secy of State, et al; tell them how your ‘family has been DEMs since FDR’ and how you are ’shocked and dismayed by this type of behavior’, and this is ‘why the Republicnas win so many state offices’… and how your grandfather must be rolling in his grave, etc etc ad nauseum
Now, I don’t condone this type of behaviour; just sayin’ I’ve heard it happens…
Red State State of Mind on November 21, 2008 at 7:26 PM
Prison is where she should be.
Rick007 on November 21, 2008 at 7:31 PM
Sue Joe Sue
Rick007 on November 21, 2008 at 7:32 PM
That poll pic of Ed looks like it came off a theater poster for something like Guys and Dolls.
eeyore on November 21, 2008 at 7:36 PM
I agree that Joe should sue the state of Ohio, Gov Strickland and Jones-Kelly. Someone in a legal foundation who wants some good press and wants to send a message could easily step up and do this. Its not a frivolous lawsuit in any way, though it likely would never make it to court. Discovery is another matter however, and in discovery,
(as we all know from our reading) things can get wicked exciting right quick.
Do it to make a point. Ask for damages equal to Jones Kelly’s one-month suspended salary. That way no one in the braindead media could claim that Joe is in it for the money.
Sue the bastards.
Mike D. on November 21, 2008 at 7:45 PM
Violation of privacy act any insurance company or public entity has to abide by!
Sue their socks off Joe, for a gazillion bucks, and then run for governor. The people must stand up and take our country back else the Marxists will be emboldened and put in place a system only extreme violence will overthrow.
We are almost there when our legal institutions ignore or condone this type of behavior.
dhunter on November 21, 2008 at 8:11 PM
If it had been a Republican, he/she would be in jail or on their way to it. This is total BS.
Dingbat63 on November 21, 2008 at 8:16 PM
For years now I’ve had to listen to so called ‘patriots’ criticize our current government over non-existent abuses of civil rights via the patriot act. The democratic congress wouldn’t allow our telecommunications companies to share information with our intelligence agencies without the fear of lawsuits. And then there’s the ‘fear’ and ’slippery slope’ ‘chilling effect’ not to mention the destruction of the constitution we all hear about. All these concerns brought right to our doorsteps via the contemptible MSM. Yet here’s a textbook example of 1St. ammendment violation in a domestic political scenario which is EXACTLY what the constitution speaks about and we get nary a peep from those disingenuous scumbags on the left.
cjk on November 21, 2008 at 8:21 PM
cjk on November 21, 2008 at 8:21 PM
Or on another subject how bout we do away with the tax cuts to big corporations and just go to grab the peoples money and had it right over to our favorite ones! BAILOUT
dhunter on November 21, 2008 at 8:29 PM
ONE MONTH?? ONE STINKING MONTH??
No demotion?
No Reprimand?
No Firing?
No Criminal Charges?
That piece of trash should be fired and be facing criminal charges.
Keep an eye on this one.. She’ll quietly get a promotion about 6 months down the road for this.
bullseye on November 21, 2008 at 8:35 PM
Where’s the media outrage?
/crickets
AZfederalist on November 21, 2008 at 8:42 PM
How about a civil suit?
Hening on November 21, 2008 at 8:43 PM
Sorry Ed, the poll questions were lacking one choice.
Is it fair?
Yes
No
It’s too much
Need to add the following:
“It’s not enough” – that’s my pick
“No” could go either way – to much or not enough.
Rod on November 21, 2008 at 10:12 PM
I thought I had missed something, but it looks like I’m in good company. Boot her keister OUT.
Laura in Maryland on November 21, 2008 at 11:35 PM
“Strickland has now become an accomplice and could be impeached. Sanctioning abuse of power for partisan political purposes is an impeachable offense.
Impeachment is not used enough.”
Use a 2 prong attack. (2 prong plus, add on if you think of more)
1. Start an Impeachment drive
2. Start a recall drive. We did it in California, it can work in Ohio
AND Joe, SUE THE FLOCK out of them. Make it known how much these fools are paid by the citizens of your Ohio, how much tax payer money they wasted on your witch hunt!
Joe don’t be nice, if they could have found a reason to put you in jail they would have.
Also check with the Feds, IF they used the Ohio computers to get into Michigan and Arizona computers without a valid reason, that’s a FELONY.
DSchoen on November 22, 2008 at 12:14 AM
“Also, anyone fired for the same thing this b!#*h did ought to sue the State of Ohio for all their back pay. If a month off with pay is the sanction for Jones-Kelly, firing is unfair.”
Good point!
Your right!
DSchoen on November 22, 2008 at 12:18 AM
Will she go to Jail? Some Watergate notables were sent to prison for having a few FBI files in their possession. The Clintons had hundreds in their possession and zip, nada, niente, null……
Johan Klaus on November 22, 2008 at 1:04 AM
Could there be a civil lawsuit by Joe somewhere here?
JellyToast on November 22, 2008 at 8:04 AM
Her department will be in great shape when she gets back from her two weeks with pay, and one month without pay. If it can survive six weeks without a director, maybe they need to reevaluate whether she’s needed at all …
GoHskrs on November 22, 2008 at 9:03 AM
Joe said he intends to sue the state. Is there a legal fees fund set up that we can donate to somewhere?
pannw on November 22, 2008 at 9:11 AM
Absolutely a joke. Using government databases inappropriately to oppress political opposition MUST be a firing offense every single time it is found. It does not matter which side does it, it must be an inexcusable act.
Hawthorne on November 22, 2008 at 9:21 AM
Makes me wish I lived back in Ohio, just to be able to vote the bum out of office.
manwithblackhat on November 22, 2008 at 9:36 AM
I want to know what her supporters knew, and when did they know it.
Someone needs to go to jail for this abuse of power.
DannoJyd on November 22, 2008 at 10:25 AM
I wonder what the implications this “punishment” will have on the lawsuit by JTP? I would think that if a jury didn’t think this was taken seriously by the state, then the state will owe more money. But then, the insurance company pays for that and it takes decades to get the money so who cares?
Cindy Munford on November 22, 2008 at 10:57 AM
I’m curious to see what if any award JTP gets from this whole thing in our current judicial system which is permeated with a leftist tilt. Remember that the left really has no morals or higher law than what serves their purposes and such adherents will never take even a remote stand against BHO no matter how unrelated the actual case may be. This is the real core of the danger we face; remember that power emanates from the people. Adolf Hitler accomplished his goals with about 30% of the peoples backing which is plenty enough….. I hope I won’t be investigated for these comments.
cjk on November 22, 2008 at 1:18 PM
This will tie all the way back to Strickland, if we could just get the GFBI or JUstice to do their friggin job.
Just once, and I mean at least once, would I like to see a criminal democrap get justice, just once.
ReaganConservative3 on November 22, 2008 at 4:28 PM
I little spelling issue there, so I will say that I meant GFBI, for Goshdarn FBI :)
ReaganConservative3 on November 22, 2008 at 4:29 PM
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