Wednesday, June 16, 2010

DA Investigates Taxpayer-Funded Political Blogger

The Milwaukee County District Attorney is investigating a Milwaukee County health department employee suspected of operating three political internet blogs during work hours based on a complaint filed by CRG Network Director of Field Operations Orville Seymer.

Wisconsin law prohibits public employees from using taxpayer resources for political purposes. A government employee running political blogs at work is clearly seem to be a taxpayer-funded political activity.

The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office has taken possession of the government computer used by Christopher Liebenthal, a Milwaukee County employee who operates the three political blogs. Computer records show he was posting to his blog during work hours and possibly from taxpayer-funded computers.

Liebenthal has been active in Milwaukee County First and AFSCME Local 48. He has blogged or maintained web pages for those groups as well as his own. Blogging under the name “Capper,” Liebenthal writes for two political blogs called Cognitive Dissidence and Whallah! Numerous political columns by “Capper” [Liebenthal] were posted during working hours.

The following are links to documentation in support of the allegation.

CRG Network press release

Examples of Cognitive Dissidence posts during work hours

Examples of Wallah! posts during work hours

4 comments:

  1. I don't know what xactly ging on except to say that he does have some kind of device that can automaitcally post something at a specific time. Also, we don't know when his lunch time is.
    Having said that, then if he was posting on County time, he is in for a reprimand.

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  2. Another great job for CRG. Again, doing what the media won't do.

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  3. April 15 was a county furlough day, and May 14 was a day off for Chris. None of the posts you have cited happened from work or during Chris's work hours.

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  4. Can you post a complete copy of the complaint you filed with the District Attorney?

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