Posted on 12/17/2008 5:51:17 PM PST by buccaneer81
State official resigns over 'Joe the Plumber' affair Wednesday, December 17, 2008 6:54 PM Updated: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 07:38 PM By Catherine Candisky THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Helen Jones-Kelley, the state official placed on unpaid leave for improperly accessing confidential information from state databases on "Joe the Plumber," has resigned.
Two senior managers involved in the incident also are leaving, The Dispatch has learned..
Jones-Kelley was scheduled to return to work as director of the Department of Job and Family Services on Monday following a one-month suspension without pay.
Today's action comes just hours after the Senate approved a measure cracking down on state workers who improperly conduct checks involving people's personal information. Republicans complained that Gov. Ted Strickland, who promised to set a high ethical standard as governor, was letting her off far too lightly.
The bill will go to the House tonight, where it is expected to be approved and sent to the governor..
Strickland suspended Jones-Kelley after a report by Inspector General Thomas P. Charles found that checks into the background of Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher that were approved by Jones-Kelley were not conducted for any legitimate governmental purpose.
The administration last night fired Doug Thompson, the deputy director of child support who was scheduled to return to work Monday following a one-month suspension without pay.
Fred Williams, assistant agency director, has resigned effective Jan. 31. He recently returned to his job after a week suspension without pay.
Williams and Thompson were faulted for participating in Jones-Kelley's authorization of the checks on Wurzelbacher. Thompson also ordered an employee to lie about the reason for the check.
Jones-Kelley authorized that checks the day after Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain mentioned Wurzelbacher, who he had met during a campaign visit to the Toledo area, repeatedly during the final televised debate with Democrat Barack Obama on Oct. 15.
The agency's actions drew outrage from across the nation after The Dispatch broke the story.
Announcement of Jones-Kelley's resignation came less than an hour after administration officials told The Dispatch that they knew nothing about the pending departures.
Jones-Kelley told the inspector general the child support checks were run on those thrust into the public spotlight to see whether they were receiving public assistance or owed child support or unemployment-compensation taxes. The report found that explanation incredible.
Charles' investigation faulted Williams and Thompson for participating in Jones-Kelley's authorization of checks on Wurzelbacher and criticized Thompson for instructing an employee to send a "deceptive e-mail" about a child-support check.
ccandisky@dispatch.com
Good.
When is his book coming out?
Bet she lands a job in Washington.
I wonder how much hush money they’re getting to be the fall guys (and gal)?
Bye, bye Helen!
Next time you want to work on behalf of a candidate while on the job, work for a political organization and not the State.
It’s too bad that Stickland didn’t have the cajones to handle this matter appropriately.
Toledo PD next?
Hah! Good.
Hopefully it doesn’t end here. I want to see Joe sue the heck out of these criminals for violating his privacy and leaking information to the press.
0bama will personally see to it.
‘bout time! Should have been a firing, but I guess this is as close as most governments get without criminal charges being filed.
Usually in government, if you resign you get your pension. If you get fired, you only get back the money you paid in.
What the hell, she did her job for the election. 10 bucks sez she files an appeal with her public employees union after a while and gets reinstated quietly.
CLAP, CLAP, CLAP.
It’s about time.
It is amazing a demrat is not only owning up to criminal behavior, but is resigning too. Someone had to be pushing for this to happen. Did Joe sue?
Me too, he has a case and should defend his privacy.
It's already out.
The Franklin County prosecutor is still reviewing. But it won't happen.
And that POS Hussein can’t wait to offer her a post of some sort.
Ohio Ping!
These people probably think they are being scapegoated .. in their mind(s), such as they are, they have done nothing wrong ... it’s just the way this type person operates. Call it the “Chicago Mindset.”
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