Thread: Two state employees and counting

"The List" investigation: Two state employees and counting
Reported by: Brent Hunsaker
Last Update: 2:37 pm



SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Calling those responsible "rogue employees", Utah Governor Gary Herbert announced Friday that two state employees have been suspended as the investigation continues into who stole information from a government database to create "The List" -- 29 pages with the names and personal information of 13-hundred people who are supposedly illegal immigrants.

Governor Herbert said, "These people involved have been very patient, they've been very methodical. They have been very deliberate in violating protocols and breaching security to, in fact, gather this information."

The database they allegedly accessed belongs to the Department of Workforce Services. The two are employees of Workforce Services.

They are by no means the only employees under suspicion. Dave Lewis, a spokesman for Workforce Services said up to four others are also being investigated, although no action has been taken against them.

Also, ABC 4 has been told that at one time, all of the subjects in the investigation worked in the same facility. Lewis said they dealt with client applications but had no face-to-face contact. Though Lewis declined to identify the specific office, based on his description it is believed they worked in the Eligibility Services Division.

And judging from the letter that was sent along with the list, they were apparently very frustrated with current immigration policy and enforcement.

Kristen Cox, Executive Director of Workforce Services, said that is no excuse. "Regardless of what their frustration is, if they work for the dept. of workforce services or state government, they understand what the rules are, the protocols and if they want to go rogue, they need to quit the department."

Governor Herbert added, "People who deal with government and share private information have the right to believe and know that the private information is being kept private."

As of late Friday, no findings had been turned over to the Attorney General's office for review. That will probably happen on Monday.



http://www.abc4.com/content/news/slc/st ... nEq9Q.cspx

Are they true patriots or are they criminals? Are they inviting lawless behavior or are they trying to shame our government into enforcing laws on the books?

Originally Posted by sarum

Are they true patriots or are they criminals? Are they inviting lawless behavior or are they trying to shame our government into enforcing laws on the books?

patriots or criminals? technically they could be both.
the governor, AG, illegals and theur supporters in the state will say criminals.
the people tired of illegals getting a free pass will say patriots.

the governor, AG and the Social Security Administration are all starting investigations into this. Now what they are looking for will be anyones guess. but if the SSA does not look at who is illegal and who isnt. and who is getting money that should not be getting it. then that alone will be wrong.

Someone else has a social conscious beside AZ to support American for Americas.
We must all support this decison and maybe every entitlement program will be forced to audit their data bases against E-Verify.
It would save the USA billions and
It would probably save CA and Fl more.

Originally Posted by jamesw62

Originally Posted by sarum

Are they true patriots or are they criminals? Are they inviting lawless behavior or are they trying to shame our government into enforcing laws on the books?

Utah Law -

67-21-3. Reporting of governmental waste or violations of law -- Employer action -- Exceptions.
(1) (a) An employer may not take adverse action against an employee because the employee, or a person authorized to act on behalf of the employee, communicates in good faith the existence of any waste of public funds, property, or manpower, or a violation or suspected violation of a law, rule, or regulation adopted under the law of this state, a political subdivision of this state, or any recognized entity of the United States.
(b) For purposes of Subsection (1)(a), an employee is presumed to have communicated in good faith if he gives written notice or otherwise formally communicates the waste, violation, or reasonable suspicion to the state auditor. This presumption may be rebutted by showing that the employee knew or reasonably ought to have known that the report is malicious, false, or frivolous.

(2) An employer may not take adverse action against an employee because an employee participates or gives information in an investigation, hearing, court proceeding, legislative or other inquiry, or other form of administrative review held by the public body.

(3) An employer may not take adverse action against an employee because the employee has objected to or refused to carry out a directive that the employee reasonably believes violates a law of this state, a political subdivision of this state, or the United States, or a rule or regulation adopted under the authority of the laws of this state, a political subdivision of this state, or the United States.

(4) An employer may not implement rules or policies that unreasonably restrict an employee's ability to document the existence of any waste of public funds, property, or manpower, or a violation or suspected violation of any laws, rules, or regulations.

http://le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE67/htm/67_21_000300.htm