Democrat Goon Charged with Snooping on Joe the Plumber

I see justice really moves swiftly out there in Ohio. Gee, it's only been a year now since 'Joe the Plumber' burst onto the national scene when he dared to question The One.

A year ago tonight, "Joe the Plumber" entered America's political consciousness.

Republican Sen. John McCain's mention of the Toledo-area man during a presidential debate ultimately led to the downfall of an Ohio cabinet director for snooping in state computers for confidential information on "Joe."

Nearly a year later, a former contractor for the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police has been charged with rummaging through a police computer network to retrieve personal information about Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher.

Brett A. Gerke, 52, of 2329 Woodcreek Place on the Far North Side, is charged with attempted unauthorized use of property, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Gerke entered a diversion program Oct. 2, which typically results in the dismissal of a criminal charge. He has not entered a plea.

The State Highway Patrol says that Gerke used a law-enforcement computer network Oct. 16, 2008, to search for information on Wurzelbacher.

The man was popularized as "Joe the Plumber" by McCain in a debate with Democratic Sen. Barack Obama on Oct. 15. Wurzelbacher had been videotaped earlier questioning Obama about his policies.

Gerke was project manager in the development of the Ohio Local Law Enforcement Information Sharing Network, working on the project between 2004 and 2008 as a contractor for the police chiefs' association.

Gerke used a test account and password he received to work on the project to search for information on Wurzelbacher and others, authorities say.

He was working as a contractor for the Ohio Department of Insurance at the time of the computer checks. Gerke's attorney, Joseph Scott of Columbus, would not comment on the case.

The Dispatch revealed several questionable checks of state computer systems for confidential information about Wurzelbacher.

In the end nobody will pay a price for the invasion into Wurzelbacher's privacy, which is ridiculous. Just imagine if Republicans unleashed the hounds against private citizens like Obama and his thugs do?