Problems with Workers
Last month The Plain Dealer exposed widespread problem with worker patronage in O'Malley's office. A review of his 2007 payroll showed he gave out nearly three dozen jobs, with a combined payroll of $1.4 million, to politically connected people and their family. The day after The Dealer reported widespread patronage was exposed at his office, O'Malley's staff set off on a review of the spending and employment numbers of fellow Democratic officeholders.
O'Malley's inquiry focused on County Auditor Frank Russo, Treasurer Jim Rokakis and Engineer Robert Klaiber, according to e-mail between county workers.
O'Malley's probe turned up very little that might help him with his patronage problems. It showed the number of workers at the auditor's office was 5 percent higher in 2007 than in 1997, engineer jobs decreased by 35 percent and treasurer jobs dropped 18 percent. O’Malley’s recorder positions climbed 19 percent. in the same period according to budget office numbers.
"I can't say how he planned on using that information," Sandy Turk, the county budget director said. "I can't even say why he selected those individuals."
Last month, The Plain Dealer reported at least a third of the employees on O'Malley's 2007 recorder payroll landed their jobs through political connections, including ward leaders and precinct committee members who helped him gain the recorder's job in 1997. The story also said, O'Malley employs nearly twice as many people as the Franklin County recorder.
Russo wasted no time ordering an immediate inventory of computer equipment in O'Malley's former office. Russo issued the order the day after O'Malley resigned. The reason: O'Malley barred county workers from conducting an annual state-mandated review of the equipment. The ban goes back at least four years.
"They rudely threw [my staff] right out." Cuyahoga County Information Services Center Director Dan Weaver recalled on Friday. "It didn't surprise me, knowing his personality."
Problems with Web Sites
While O’Malley was busy viewing obscene materials on his private computer, the County Web site developed and designed by O’Malley’s office and outsourced to Broma Information Technology is obscenely displaying private information belonging to Cuyahoga County citizens and allowing data mining companies to download the sensitive information in bulk for resale.
According to O’Malley’s site, the information is "provided to allow the citizens of Cuyahoga County, and the world, access to information housed at our office." But in 2006, employees with the county web site acknowledged that unnamed companies were using 'bots' (automatic retrieval programs) to mine the site and then reselling the data to unknown parties worldwide.
B.J. Ostergren warned the public that the Cuyahoga County Recorder's office was trafficking in sensitive citizen data through the county Web site. Ostergren operates a consumer advocate site called The Virginia Watchdog where she documents major breaches of private information by county and state run web sites.
In November 2007 this very active watchdog focused her attention on the Cuyahoga County Recorder’s Web site and announced, "if you know where to look, you can find thousands of Social Security numbers. “The Cuyahoga County Web site should be shut down immediately since it's spoon feeding criminals and has been for years," she said. (See Virginia Watchdog Takes a Bite Out of Ohio)
Cuyahoga County officials ignored Ostergren’s warning as well as pleas from local citizens to purge their sensitive data. Even today, it remains very easy for anyone, from anywhere in the world, to view Social Security numbers contained in images of deeds, mortgages and tax liens the county provides online. What you won’t find are references to O’Malley’s embarrassing term in office.
In a move that belies the usually cumbersome and slow-moving nature of any government body, it only took a few hours to purge the Cuyahoga County Web site of any picture or mention of the former Cuyahoga County official. Except for his signature and official seal which appear on many of the documents, references to O'Malley have been removed.
O’Malley isn't the first official to ignore public concerns about government Web sites and the role they play in organized identity theft. The issue of government Web sites obscenely displaying citizens Social Security numbers swept candidates in and out of office in 2006. Voters sent a clear message that ignoring their need for security is dangerous for political futures.
