Worker says 'Joe the Plumber' cover-up was forced upon her

Dispatch Politics ^ | 12/05/2008 | Catherine Candisky

[Big_Monkey]

I remember reading that at least one person with the Toledo Police department has been investigated and possibly indicted for leaking information to a local NBC affiliate in Toledo.

Beyond that, I’m not aware of anyone else being named as a news source.

[Navy Patriot]

DemoRat principles, Stalin would be proud.

[Deb]

She’ll be okay. The party will take care of her.

[Gaffer]

I’ve seen this woman’s picture and I personally feel she’s in this up to her neck and making obvious claims to throw the blame off on someone else not of the same color (e.g., ‘bright red neck’), myself. Play the race card lady.

[Digger]

This should be a big story—a state agency engineers a political hit job on an average citizen who embarrassed a candidate and then tried to cover it up. That should by dynamite. But we all know this will end up going nowhere.

So why is it going nowhere? Isn't there anyone / group on the right that would force it to be news? You know the answer. That's why we lost the country.

[Big_Monkey]

I’m not a mind reader, but I believe you’re confusing Vanessa Niekamp with Ohio Family Services Director Helen Jones-Kelley.

Ms. Niekamp was just a civil servant, minding her own business, when she got caught up in this “scheme” by Jones-Kelley and her boss, Deputy Director Doug Thompson.

[tbw2]

The other possibility is that they wanted her gone. So they had the inappropriate access done by her, with her user ID, so that they could follow the law and fire her for breaking the law. And it covers their butts, saying they fired the inappropriate data accessor.

[WHBates]

Not that the Feds spend a lot of time publicizing these things, but I’m very surprised I haven’t read anywhere about a Federal civil rights investigation with respect to this matter.

Well I hate to be negative but from my observations, good OL Joe is the wrong color and/or sex for there to be any meaningful federal investigation.

[HEY4QDEMS]

Vanessa Niekamp

I'm not sure why she would play the race card.

Can you elaborate?

[Lancey Howard]

Hopefully, Joe the Plumber will soon be bringing a civil case in this matter. It's time to get these Ohio dems under oath and on the record.

BUMP that! Joe has every reason to sue their freaking eyeballs out, slam dunk.

[WHBates]

Could be, but I would more believe that they intimidate employees as matter of course and thought they they would get away with it.

[EDINVA]

She’s also trying to save her own job ... the time is well spent, tho it should be allocated retroactively as ‘official business.’

[Gaffer]

My bad you’re right

[Las Vegas Dave]

Ohio Ping!

To be added to the Ohio Ping List, please freepmail (works best)
both TonyRo76 and LasVegasDave.

[pepperdog]

Yes, and she’s not out of it yet. She was lucky the IG, for whatever reason, wasn’t a tool of management because they usually are. I think the direction came from a much higher level and they were afraid not to investigate. I hope the woman gets to keep her job. As far as management is concerned...they should be on the street right now...and heavily fined for betraying the trust required in their type jobs.

[Mr. K]

A MONTH SUSPENSION?????? IF THIS WERE REPUBLICANS GOING AFTER A DEM THEY WOULD BE DEMANDING CRIMINAL CHARGES AND JAIL TIME!!!!!!!!!

THIS IS A CRIME~!! WHY ARE CHARGES *NOT* BEING FILED? WHO SAYS A MONTH SUSPENSION IS ADEQUATE?????

[dragnet2]

Most government agencies in Ohio are corrupt.

[Yaelle]

Bravo for the Whistle blower!

Oh my gosh, I really am not looking forward to more of this Change. I’d rather have good, old fashioned freedom.

[monkeyshine]

Joe just might be able to buy that plumbing business after all.

Yep. And he might be able to win some "no show" state plumbing contracts, too :-)

[Melian]

Note the elephant brooch in the photo of Niekamp.