CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team is tracking a firestorm at Cleveland City Hall over the handling of public records.
The mayor’s office has now asked for an outside investigation to look into whether one city council employee is seeing more of those records than he should.
Council president Blaine Griffin, however, said the employee did nothing wrong and he was provided access to the public records portal as part of his job. He said the employee gathers information for council members.
City spokesperson Tyler Sinclair said the employee downloaded records that contained private information, such as social security numbers, so the city wants to make sure no laws were violated.
“That’s what we are trying to figure out,” Sinclair said. “So we are referring it to outside counsel.”
Griffin said the city administration had ordered him to fire the employee.
“There are a bunch of loose allegations,” Griffin said. “The fact that somebody’s message boys had the audacity to try and tell the council president, try and tell Blain Griffin, that if I don’t do something, this what they are going to do. Go to the media.”
Griffin added that, right now, the employee is not facing any disciplinary action.
“With over 2,200 files that were downloaded by this employee,” Sinclair said, “we don’t know what he did with those and that’s the scary part because they do contain highly sensitive social security numbers.”
Peggy Gallek
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