Lucas County elections worker suspended pending investigation

5/5/2010

A Lucas County Board of Elections employee who disclosed a person's vote on a Facebook page was suspended with pay Wednesday while the situation is investigated, elections director Linda Howe said.

A Web posting with Trisha Birmingham Moore's name on it appeared on a Facebook page Monday stating that Allan Block, chairman of the Blade parent company, Block Communications, Inc., had just gone come into the Early Voting Center where she worked "to vote for Jon Stainbrook."

Ms. Howe said, "The results of our ongoing investigation will be presented to the Board at a meeting on Tuesday . . . and the Board will decide on appropriate actions. During the course of our investigation, Ms. Moore has been suspended with pay."

A permanent part-time employee, Ms. Moore works three days a week.

The comment was placed on the Facebook page of former county commissioner Maggie Thurber.

Board of Elections employees have to sign a form that acknowledges receipt of the boards' ethics policy. The ethics policy states that "[p]ublic officials and employees are prohibited from disclosing or using information that is deemed confidential by law."