Ted Strickland's Lonely Vigil: Waiting for All the Facts

Gov. Ted Strickland wants to wait for all the facts before he decides what to do about Helen-Jones Kelley, accused of abusing her position and her state computer to raise money for the Obama campaign and to investigate Republican posterboy Joe the Plumber.

Of course, Gov. Strickland didn't “wait for all the facts” on former Attorney General Marc Dann before he demanded his resignation. “All the facts” are still not in on Dann, who was an independently elected Constitutional officer.

But there’s no real doubt about what happened with Jones-Kelley. Gov. Strickland cites “technical” matters. What he’s talking about is routing information contained in the header of an email. It is possible to send out an email that looks genuine, but is not. But that’s not at issue here, because the content of Jones-Kelley’s emails shows they are real.

The emails are about a big-ticket Obama fundraiser in Dayton, Jones-Kelly’s home town. The emails went back and forth between the Obama campaign and Jones-Kelley at her state e-mail address. Remember, these emails were obtained by the Dispatch from the State, so they at least went to Jones-Kelley’s email account. If someone was spoofing her email, why didn’t she notice the emails flowing through her account?

Because they were hers, and they are genuine.

The emails included the names of 17 potential donors, according to the Columbus Dispatch. At least one of those donors wrote a check for $9,600. If someone was trying to set up Jones-Kelley, and the emails aren’t real, why would they put solid donor leads in the email?

They wouldn’t. Jones-Kelley mined her hometown contacts to help Obama – which is perfectly proper, except she used her government email account.

And there’s more: the Jones-Kelley emails promised she would make a $2,500 donation – and she did. Corroboration anyone? And she also offered to host a reception for Michelle Obama. That personal detail has the ring of truth.

We're not talking about a criminal case that requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt here. We're talking about whether there's enough evidence that would justify a governor firing an at-will employee who broke his own rules.

Gov. Strickland did not wait for "all the facts" on Marc Dann, and he was right to speak out. He should speak out -- and act -- in the case of his own appointee.

Gov. Strickland also told the press that he didn’t have any reason to look into whether anybody else did what his Cabinet officer did, and he had no intention to checking. But there’s a very simple, cost-effective way to make sure, so the governor can tell the people of this whether or not anybody else was campaigning with State resources.

In my next post, I’ll explain how.

She serves at his pleasure -- so is Govenor Strickland pleased with Helen Jones-Kelley?

Governor Ted Strickland faced his first ethical test yesterday, and failed.

Helen Jones-Kelley, who authorized the Nixonian examination of Joe the Plumber’s personal information in government files, was finally placed on paid administrative leave yesterday. She’s under investigation by the Inspector General for her role in using government databases, to presumably look for dirt on the Everyman icon who put President-Elect Obama on the spot.

But that’s not what got her a paid vacation.

It seems she was performing fundraising and organizing for the Obama campaign on her state computer.

The governor has the emails. He gave them to the press. There’s no doubt. Why didn’t he fire her?

A cabinet officer is a political appointee. (This one makes $30,000 more than the Attorney General of the State.) She has no job protection. There’s no union contract to worry about. She serves at the pleasure of the Governor, and can be fired at will. As in, “Helen, clean out your desk. This trooper will see you to the door.”

Paid administrative leave is appropriate where civil service rules or collective bargaining agreements make it difficult to predict whether a termination will stand appeal. Here, those reasons do not apply.

Mayors and Governors and Presidents fire political appointees just because they say something out of line, or disrespect someone, or just don't inspire confidence anymore. Certainly, using government office and equipment for partisan political fundraising is a reason to show someone to the door. Make a statement about your Administration – and send a message to the 5,000 or so political appointees out there. Believe me, Governor, they’re watching.

Gov. Strickland had a chance to make a loud statement about the integrity of his Administration – and he did.