Gov. Ted Strickland suspended Director Helen Jones-Kelley of the Job and Family Services Department for one month without pay after a state Inspector General's report found Jones-Kelley improperly authorized searches of state databases and used her state e-mail account for political fundraising.
Based on her annual salary of $141,980, the suspension will cost Jones-Kelley, 57, of Clayton, $11,831.
The report issued on Thursday, Nov. 20, by Inspector General Tom Charles found that Jones-Kelley improperly authorized searches of state databases for information on Samuel Joseph — "Joe the Plumber" — Wurzelbacher, who emerged as a key figure in the Ohio presidential campaign.
Charles also found that Jones-Kelley's use of state e-mail resources to raise money for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was improper.
The decision by the Democratic governor isn't likely to satisfy Republicans.
Before it was announced, Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, called on Strickland to "immediately terminate" Jones-Kelley and Doug Thompson, deputy director of child support who came with Jones-Kelley to Columbus from Montgomery County.
"You entrusted these individuals with sensitive information regarding thousands of Ohioans.
"They not only failed in their responsibilities to protect that information, but they abused positions of authority to access confidential databases for what, based on the evidence released today, had no legitimate government purpose, was not in response to media requests and appears to be based on political motivations," Harris said in a letter to Strickland.
That kind of misuse of government resources to spy on an innocent citizen should have cost her her job, or at the very least a large fine on top of the lost salary. This move is symbolic at best.
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