Whistleblower exposes the Joe the Plumber snoopers’ cover-up
Vanessa Niekamp is the Ohio state employee who first stepped forward to call out the Joe the Plumber snoopers on their official lies. You’ll remember in late October that she publicly contradicted her superior, who falsely claimed that searches on private citizens’ records were routine if those citizens somehow came to public light.
Niekamp debunked the b.s. and now she’s revealing more about the snoopers’ attempts to cover their tracks:
The state worker who unwittingly ran an improper child-support check on the man known as Joe the Plumber told lawmakers today that a deputy director later “dictated” how she was supposed to cover it up.
Vanessa Niekamp, an administrator for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services’ Office of Child Support and a 15-year state employee, said that when Deputy Director Doug Thompson came into her office, “He appeared very upset, his neck was bright red, and he was shaking. He closed my door.”
Thompson told her she must write an e-mail to the agency’s information security officer, and then “dictated word for word” what she wrote, Niekamp said. He also reminded her that she could be fired at any time, she said.
…The checks came the day after Republican presidential nominee John McCain talked about Wurzelbacher in his final presidential debate Oct. 15 with Democrat Barack Obama.
The next day, Niekamp said, Assistant Deputy Director Carri Brown asked her to check the state child-support computer system for Wurzelbacher.
Brown “claimed that he had contacted our agency with a dispute about how much child support he owed,” Niekamp said.
…A week later, Thompson came to her office with a different explanation – that he, Jones-Kelley and assistant director Fred Williams had requested the check.
“Doug told me that the person Carri had asked me to look up was Joe the Plumber – the one who was talked about in the national news. He said he needed my help explaining something,” Niekamp said.
“Doug then told me I must write an e-mail to our agency’s information security officer to explain why the file had been accessed. He turned my computer screen so he could see it and dictated word for word what he wanted me to write. …
“He then told me that we needed to make sure that we answer questions about what happened the same way, so that our versions were not different from each other. Before he said that, he reminded me that I was an unclassified employee – which, as you may know, is someone who can be fired without cause.”
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Trackbacks
- BizzyBlog » Joe the Plumber Whistleblower Threatened with Firing; Suspended Employees Should Not Return
- Joe the Plumber Data Dive Whistleblower Was Threatened with Firing; Media Will Likely Ignore | Latest Technology News - Business News And Expert Advice
- ButAsForMe! » Joe the Plumber Data Dive Whistleblower Was Threatened with Firing; Media Will Likely Ignore
- ButAsForMe! » Joe the Plumber Data Dive Whistleblower Was Threatened with Firing; Media Will Likely Ignore
- Thwarted in O-hi-o « Grand Rants
- Helen Jones-Kelley resigns - OK’d search of Joe the Plumber’s records « Goodtimepolitics
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Categories: Joe The Plumber
Doug Ross @ Journal
» ACORN pwnage part II: Breitbart's BigGovt Lowers the BoomBig Government
» BREAKING: San Diego ACORN Document Dump ScandalVillainous Company
» Amateur Hour in the Oval Office Continues....Green Room
» Times Slimes Obamic ClimesLegal Insurrection
» Nation Mag Outs Secret U.S. Anti-Terror ProgramMudville Gazette
» War costs money (2)
The next step will be for the unhinged left to tar and feather Ms. Neikamp.
Taxpayer dollars at work for you. FIRE them all!
Bob Taft may have been incompetent but Ted Strickland is corrupt. I believe he’s “suspended” the department’s director but these are people that need to be summarily fired.
And don’t get me started on Mark Dann the previous Atty General (or is that General Pervert?) or Sec’y State Jennifer Brunner.
Very courageous of her to have come forward then as now. Kudos.
Sue, Joe, sue! Sue for millions and give the taxpayers of that state a good reason to clean house at the next election.
Yes he should sue, for millions and use some of that to contribute to some good Republican candidates when Strickland and Secretary of State Brunner are up for re-election.
Very smart move on her part.
Sue the socks off those idiots. You must teach people a lesson, and $$$$ talks baby.
Said it before and will say it again…
Nothing will happen to these people, those in charge will simply wait out the media until the circus moves to another town.
Unless of course, Joe starts a major lawsuit and brings the ACLU in…
I won’t be holding my breath; standing up for Joe would go against everything the ACLU stands for.
My guess- so if this came to light, their computer records wouldn’t show the search. They knew it was wrong, and if she hadn’t blown the whistle in investigation could have ended with her being fired while they skated by in the clear.
I hope she comes out of this alright, while those who ordered her to perform the illegal checks get thrown out.
But I have a bad feeling it’ll be the other way around.
I don’t think she’ll be fired. Quite the contrary. She’s not set for life. She will, however, now need a food tester and someone to start her car.
After hearing the democrats in Ohio whine and bellyache about Bob-I’m-a-RINO-Taft going on a golf trip, gratis, it’s sadly ironic that corruption actually seems to be a REAL problem in their own leetle tent.
Thanks to the BRAVE WOMEN who have come forward exposing this corruption and lawlessness within the highest levels of Ohio State government. I won’t write off my home state just yet.
Unless the management team that was complicit in the illegal search is fired or transferred to other areas, this lady will pay dearly for her honesty.
I’m glad to hear there are still people out there who will do what is right regardless of the consequences.
It’s sad to say, but the search of Joe the Plumber’s records is just the tip of the iceberg. Those with access are continually performing illegal searches for friends, relatives, or their own, bored curiosity. Unless of course, the system these records are on have a complete audit trail of who accesses and when.
You are quite correct.
In my previous career, I had access, as did every one of my co-workers…all sworn peace officers. Running checks on the new boyfriends of ex-wives seemed to be the favored intrusion…right after checking out who that hot blonde was driving the red porsche. This went on from the lowest levels to the highest. (The highest levels being the SoS office).
I’m certainly NOT saying all law enforcement officers/records clerks/dispatchers engage in this conduct. Far from it. Most take seriously their duty to only use the information for official business. However, the temptation is there, and some are unable to resist….and unfortunately, it is usually those with other imperfections in their character who do it.
This is why character counts.
Can’t legislate morality, though. Right?
Chickens coming home to roost? Looks like it.
Wasn’t the pledge of all the socialist democrats a couple years ago that they would be the most ethical and transparent government in our history? Words. Just words.
EXTRA POINT: TODAY O.J. SIMPSON GOES TO JAIL. WHERE ARE THE RACE-MONGERS NOW?
Folks, this is the “change” we’ve heard so much about. And this is only the beginning.
These sort of intrusions are going to become much more frequent, and don’t think for a second we’re going to find any MSM support to fight it. The MSM will rely on stooges in government to fill their popularity-plunging newspapers and magazines. Can you say civilian “National Defense Force?” In eastern Europe, where my family is from, it was called the “secret police” and they owned the media. Look out for a media bailout, although that may not be necessary, as the media is already complicit. Why buy the cow when the milk’s for free?
It’s going to be an interesting 4 years.
Can you even imagine if things were reversed? An Ohio Republican administration doing a search on a person like a liberal Joe the Plumber instead of a conservative?
It would national news day after day until the liberal media and Democrats got their pound of flesh. Hissy Matthews, Olberdork, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, NY Times, Newsweek, Time, HuffPo, LA Times, would be OUTRAGED and demand firings, investigations…..and on and on.
THE LIBERAL MEDIA RUNS OUR COUNTRY BECAUSE THEY SET THE AGENDA AND DEFINE THE COVERAGE OF IT.
Joe needs to file a Lawsuit. It is evident beyond any reasonable doubt that a Crime was commited..but the demo-corrupt-coward people on Ohio are not going to do anything about it.
Unfortunatly, any “Settlement” due to court ruling or out of court…would end with the state calling Washington for a handout to pay it….so our tax money would eventually be used..and those guilty would keep their jobs.
Vanessa has more spine than most of our highly paid Republican elites…forget about the democrats (lower case on purpose). Hurrah for the one R willing to take it farther.
C-CS
And if Joe was black what do you think would be above the fold all across the country dumb-mass media?
Racism still exists no matter what BO (i.e. media) has done.
Just like when the Dems campaign offices get vandalized. Head lines everywhere. But not when the Repubs get vandalized.
The list can go on and on.
Just WHEN will the Repubs get some ballz and point out the obvious?
Wheeeeen ? ? ?
rambler, #2:
You’re immediate reaction is regarding tax dollars and not tyranny of government?????
What Joe needs to do is to file a lawsuit but make the damamges for one dollar. No jury would ever vote against that. He could tell the press he’s doing it for the right reasons. $1 means it’s the principle, not the money. Just make sure his lawyer handles the case like he’s a criminal prosecutor! Get it?
After he wins, he goes to the federal attorney in Ohio and tells him to start a federal investigation and hands over all of the evidence from the civil suit.
Works for me!
What a beautiful holiday thought.
Well thank goodness no one got in real trouble over this – well other than a month-long paid vacation I guess.
(and a nasty ‘Dont get caught again, or are you not able to keep your employees under control?’ )
They won’t until the clear majority of their candidates and officials do so..the problem is we keep getting candidates who are already so wealthy to begin with that I think (that they think) their money covers them from harm no matter what…and this is how we end with RINOs…they just can’t feel what we feel.
Maybe she should sue for Toledo…. but then again, Easton would be a much more valuable commodity.
Might as well get something out of it.
This is a clear cut example of lies and The Truth. Those who tell The Truth need to be rewarded and those who lie need to be punished.
Unfortunately, as has been written here and in real life, many times the opposite happens. That is immoral and disgusting.
Gee, I’m shocked. Now that Big media is starting their confessionals, and ACORN seems to be a non-issue, we suddenly learn about this. The dhimmis have taken us for fools because we have no clout. What we screamed about for months was conveniently swept under the rug. The Zogby poll about the education and knowledge of the Obama voters proved that. This country has gone left, and has left me.
So, um, has anyone run a child support check on Mr. Doug Thompson? Just curious…didn’t think so.
Maybe there is a requirement that Ohio Department of Job and Family Services’ Office of Child Support employees are given background checks of their child support status. Knowing the power of state employee unions, I would bet even money that they aren’t checked.
This is a clear case of Subornation of Perjury.
Since the subornation of perjury is a felony, this completes the requirement for Conspiracy…”When there is a criminal conspiracy to suborn perjury, the conspirators may be prosecuted whether or not perjury has been committed.”
Heads should roll, but they won’t. These three people have one big thing in their favor…they’re Democrats.
Democrats only commit crimes….”for the greater good” and so must be excused. Rebublicans only commit crimes for the pure evil of it and so must be punished to the full extent of LAW….the Republican leadership seems to accept this as a fair “ballance”. Do not expect Justice, the LAW in this case will not allow it
Why wait? Yes, JtP should sue, but the recall petitions should already be drawn up. The only question remaining is how many names to add to it.
Absolutely. Why else would he have her write an email to the IT security guy. It’s likely the database has logs as to who accesses it, when, and for what.
She was very smart to speak to the IG immediately. The snakes in charge there would have fired her within a few weeks anyway to cover their tracks if this would not have become so public.
This would be fun to watch if it weren’t for the fact that the whistleblower’s career is probably over. And Joe the Plumber lost his privcy.
If Vanessa lived in Colorado I would hire her if I could.