State officials said on Thursday that public employees accessed confidential state records on
homegrown "American Idol" runner-up Crystal Bowersox.
According to the state, employees of five agencies and an assistant prosecutor with the
Columbus City Attorney's office illegally looked at information on Bowersox through confidential
state databases, 10TV's Maureen Kocot reported.
The workers received punishments ranging from written reprimands to a two-week suspension, Kocot reported.
An Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles employee was fired and faces a felony charge of unauthorized
use of property.
Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Gary Lewis said that the agency audited databases in May and
found files on Bowersox had been improperly accessed at least eight times.
Lewis said the audit reflected a 2009 state law cracking down on unauthorized
record-checking. It was prompted by checks done on another Ohio resident, the 2008 presidential
campaign figure known as "Joe the Plumber.
The Ohio Department of Public Safety apologized for the security breaches, Kocot
reported.
Bowersox told the Toledo Blade that she feels violated but does not plan to sue.
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