EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County officials are demanding stronger protections for legal communications in the wake of a criminal investigation into politically motivated e-mail surveillance by key officials in the administration of Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler.
The affidavits showed conclusively that County Administrator Doug Hulme and Information Technology Director Rob Dorman accessed e-mails of the Madison County judiciary and law enforcement officials – neither of which are under the jurisdiction of the county chairman or county board - and that Steve Adler, even when not a county employee, was given access to the county e-mail network to search e-mails for political purposes.
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State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons said, “The allegations describe an alarming series of crimes and violations of the public trust. By illegally accessing the confidential information of citizens, crime victims and children, there is a real risk to the safety of individuals as well as liability for taxpayers and jeopardy to ongoing investigations and court cases. It is a shocking abuse of power requiring immediate steps be taken to create stronger safeguards to protect the information security and confidentiality, as well as the taxpayer dollars of the citizens and public we are sworn to protect.”
Coroner Steve Nonn said, “My office works with families in some of the worst moments of their lives. Madison County citizens need to know that we are affording them the utmost dignity and treating them with respect for the privacy they deserve. Our office also is closely involved in death investigations which could be jeopardized by exposure.
State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons, Coroner Steve Nonn, Public Defender John Rekowski and Circuit Clerk candidate Amy Gabriel demanded immediate action to protect judicial and law enforcement data, including stronger firewalls to prevent access, and potentially, creating a server network separate from the county administrative system.
Nonn said, “All of us in law enforcement and the legal system are entrusted with the care of highly sensitive and confidential information regarding victims, crime investigations and legal proceedings. For the Prenzler administration to recklessly disregard these protections for purely political purposes is a complete affront to the public trust.”
Public Defender John Rekowski has asked the county board before for a separate email server. “The Prenzler administration has defended spying on the emails of my office, saying it has asserted that right in a county employee handbook. However, judges and court personnel are part of the judicial system and operate according to the rules of the Supreme Court. Nothing can justify looking at the emails of a public defender that may contain client communications that we are legally required to keep secret by the attorney-client privilege. Their actions could jeopardize the results of the serious cases this office handles every day. Spying on an attorney’s email for political gain is an abuse of power and a dramatic departure from past data privacy practices.”
Amy Gabriel, candidate for Circuit Clerk, expressed concern for Madison County residents seeking assistance through the justice system in light of this data breach and release of confidential information. "Every citizen of Madison County should have access to our legal system and should feel secure that private and confidential information remains exactly that, private and confidential. We must take action now to ensure all who seek assistance in our court system are protected."
