The basic narrative being reported right now about Joe Miller's personnel records from Fairbanks North Star Borough includes these basic points:
-- misused computers for political activities.
-- lied about it initially.
-- admitted it later and was disciplined.
I don't know what Alaska voters are making of this, but it wouldn't be very difficult for them to rationalize these events. After all, Miller says he used the computers on his lunch hour, so maybe he was guilty of nothing more than a technicality. And while lying about it was definitely bad, he did ultimately admit his mistake and take the consequences. Not exactly what we'd like to see on the resume of a US Senator, but hey, nobody's perfect.
However, when you read the detailed account of the affair given by Miller's co-worker Jill Dolan, a much more indefensible and downright disturbing (pathological?) picture emerges.
continued...
Here is a handy chronological rundown of Joe Miller's actions:
(drawn from the released records, p.27-30)
- violated borough policy and privacy of 3 co-workers (call them A, B, and C) by using their computers without permission (tried to access a 4th but it was password protected).
- violated borough policy by using office computers for political purposes.
- manipulated online poll to create "evidence" to deceive state GOP delegates in his bid to oust the state party Chair at upcoming convention.
- hid the evidence of his actions by deleting the browser cache on the computers he used.
- lied that he'd used co-worker A's computer only because he "could not access a site" from his (he could access it, just couldn't vote multiple times from his).
- misled when asked if he'd been on all 3 computers by only admitting to using co-worker A's.
- lied that he'd used co-worker B's computer only because "the site didn't work" on co-worker A's.
- lied that the reason he'd cleared the browser caches was that otherwise the site would "be blocked sometimes." (but he'd cleared the histories after, not before, visiting the site).
- lied saying he'd not been on co-worker C's machine, then admitted it a moment later when challenged.
- lied that the site he had visited was that of a professor at University of Alaska Fairbanks (he later admitted the site was joemiller.us).
- excused himself to his co-workers saying he had not violated any policy.
- blamed his actions on his being "stressed".
- blamed his actions on (former borough president) Rhonda Boyles "being on the radio and telling lies".
- admitted finally that he went to a site to vote in a poll and had to use multiple computers to circumvent one-person-one-vote mechanism.
- blamed his co-workers for not adequately securing their computers against his unauthorized access.
- lied that he was going to contact webmaster to have him correct the online poll he'd gamed (the site was actually owned and maintained by Miller himself).
- lied later that he had called the webmaster but he was "on the road" and could not update the site.
Notice how at every step of the way, Joe Miller only admitted to the lies in which he'd already been caught, while continuing to add fresh lies that might cast him in a better light.
The reaction of Joe Miller's co-workers to all of this was predictable. Jill Dolan said she "did not want Joe at work", they canceled some training he'd been scheduled for, and sent him on leave immediately. They then changed all the locks and passwords at the office in addition to having Miller's swipe card disabled. He would later resign to avoid being formally fired. On a positive note, as far as we know there was no restraining order.
And oh, by the way, this youthful indiscretion happened in March 2008. His next move? Run for US Senate!