Posted on 11/20/2008 2:17:16 PM PST by xtinct
COLUMBUS — Gov. Ted Strickland Thursday suspended his Ohio Department of Job and Family Services director for one month without pay after a scathing state investigation found she'd improperly mined state computer databases for information on Samuel "Joe the Plumber'' Wurzelbacher.
While agreeing she lacked a valid reason for the searches, he resisted calls from Republicans that she be fired.
"Helen Jones-Kelley has dedicated her life to helping the most vulnerable among us,'' Mr. Strickland said. "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.''
Director Helen Jones-Kelley has been on paid administrative leave from her roughly $140,000-a-year job or the last two weeks.
A report from Inspector General Tom Charles did not find credible Ms. Jones-Kelley's contention that the search of child support, unemployment, and public assistance records was routine. While the inspector general could not find proof that the searches were politically motivated, his investigation confirmed she had used her government e-mail access to assist in fund-raising activities for Barack Obama.
(Excerpt) Read more at toledoblade.com ...
“Joe needs to go for punitive damages....”
I agree. He should sue her and knock that $140,000 salary down several knotches!
Now she should be fired for using government resources for political fund raising!
Oh please. Fire her butt.
There are a lot of good people who can do her job and some of them even have the ethics she lacks.
If her character allowed her to do something this underhanded and dishonest, that dishonesty will surface again and undermine her position and/or her employees.
Get rid of her...
The governor has determined that she was operating outside of procedure. She has opened herself up to a personal lawsuit. Joe could really slam this puke.
If I were Joe, I would sue this chick’s ass and the state of Ohio along with her. It seems to me he definitely has grounds to do so.
Any word on whether or not he is considering that?
Off wit dey heads.
$140,000 a year salary from my tax dollars to use government property and equipment for campaign purposes and accessing confidential records of a fellow Ohioan?
If a Republican had done this the Democrats would be calling for termination.
I suspect the only reason why the Gov. is suspending this thug is so that the lawsuit might go easier.
“Helen Jones-Kelley has dedicated her life to helping the most vulnerable among us,’’ Mr. Strickland said. “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.”
What would she have to do for him to fire her? She engaged in what amounts to political espionage aimed at harrassing an ordinary citizen who simply asked a question. Is this what we can expect from such saintly public servants from now on? Joe has at least one child. Tell me how she was advocating for that child and Joe’s family.
Whenever politicians and bureaucrats start puffing themselves up I feel like I have to redouble my efforts to watch my back. But in past years it seems to me that these people at least had enough of a sense of shame to engage to least pretend to be contrite when caught red handed in some slimy transgression or other. Not so today. So many of these people are now quite proud of their corruption and if they offer apologies at all for their flouting of the law or disregard for common decency it is perfunctory and phony and you just know that their buddies in the bureau are giving them high fives for their “good work”. And not infrequently when caught in some dirty little act they proclaim themselves as victims unfairly accused and abused by the narrow minded and mean spirited.
Before this is over I hope to see Plumber Joe buying an entire chain of plumbing companies - all at the expense of a corrupt state.
I’ll bet you any amount of money that this criminal will not lose one red cent of pay. She will be paid once this is off everone’s radar probably in the form of a one-time bonus for some ficticious “project” with no deliverables.
Two reasons.
Here’s a thought: FIRE her as$! If a GOP, she’d have been history weeks ago.
WRONG! If a Republican had done this, the Democrats would be calling for a hanging!!
I’d have been fired if I had ever had did anything like that when I worked for the government. This is clearly an afirmative action case and the people in Ohio should demand she at a minimum be removed from ANY management capacity in the state government. She abused her office pure and simple.
If it had been reversed and a black man or black woman who supported Obama had been targeted in such a way by a white man or white woman who supported McCain there would have be no end to the story till the person in question was removed.
Yep. Civil damages are the way to stop this crap.
These ‘Rat scumbags would be foaming at the mouth if any Bush admin. official were pursuing terrorists with govt. computers, but they want to protect one of their fellow scumbags who had no conceivable public purpose to violate the privacy of a private citizen whose only “crime” was to ask a question of a candidate.
PROSECUTE this witch and end her career, NOW.
Every time Democrats get caught doing something outrageously improper or illegal this same tired reason (or something like this) is dredged up to prevent any serious discipline from occurring.
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