Turns out Helen Jones-Kelley, the director of Ohio’s Job and Family Services Division, lied about the extent of her snooping into the records of Joe the Plumber:

Helen Jones-Kelley, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, disclosed today that computer inquiries on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher were not restricted to a child-support system.

The agency also checked Wurzelbacher in its computer systems to determine whether he was receiving welfare assistance or owed unemployment compensation taxes, she wrote.

She should be fired, but she won’t be. The fix is in. Ohio’s Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland has already put his blinders on, claiming that there were “no political overtures” involved in Jones-Kelley’s snooping.

So what’s the harm? Ed Morrissey breaks it down:

The real message this sends Ohioans is one of intimidation. Don’t ask questions of public officials, Jones-Kelley’s actions say, or else watch your reputation get shredded. Be quiet. Don’t rock the boat. We know where you live, and we know what you’ve done.

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