United Liberty

The group, Judicial Watch, has filed charges on behalf of Joe Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber, alleging that Ohio state officials conducted investigations into his past after his tête-à-tête with then Democratic Presidential nominee, Barack Obama.

MSNBC-According to a subsequent investigation by the Ohio Inspector General, on October 16, 2008, just four days after Mr. Wurzelbacher questioned Obama, Jones-Kelley, Williams and Thompson held a meeting and specifically discussed “Joe the Plumber.” Following the meeting the defendants authorized and instructed agency personnel to search confidential office databases to retrieve information about Mr. Wurzelbacher. All three defendants are believed to have been supporters of Obama’s presidential campaign.

The Inspector General found “no legitimate agency function or purpose for checking on [Mr. Wurzelbacher’s] name through the [confidential databases] or for authorizing these searches,” which he labeled a “wrongful act.” The Inspector General also determined that one of the defendants, Helen Jones-Kelley misused state resources to conduct political activities on behalf of Obama.

“No American should be investigated for simply asking a question of a public official. It is unconscionable that high-ranking state officials pried into confidential government files in retaliation for Joe’s exercise of his First Amendment rights,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

This is reminescent of Lufkin, TX resident, Jessica Hughes’ story, who found the Secret Service at her front door after telling an Obama campaign worker that she would not vote for Obama because he is a socialist and voted against pro-life legislation while an Illionois state senator.

To investigage someone based on legitimate safety concerns is certainly acceptable, but situations like this are akin to political witch-hunts.