What should have been a routine public record request of the county has revealed the dysfunction of the Gilley administration. To get an accurate breakdown of the “controversy,” read William Reynolds’ post on NorthEscambia.com.
It’s a nothing burger, but in Gilley’s melodramatic, soap opera world, few things are ever simple or straightforward.
Public Records 101:
Florida’s public records law says people can’t be required to give their name or their reasons when making a request. There is no law protecting anonymity.
If a person walks into a county office and asks for a public document, he doesn’t have to give his name. If the county employee recognizes the requester, the employee can tell others his name.
An anonymous record request was made by email. Another person made verbal request of County Attorney Alison Rogers- also anonymous – for the IP address of the initial request.
The county’s IT director refused – even though he knew the IP address had been encrypted and wouldn’t identify the sender. In other words, the sender used tools to hide his identity and would remain anonymous. Still IT Director Bart Siders didn’t communicate that information to Rogers.
County Attorney Alison Rogers goes to the Florida Attorney General and asks if the IP address is a public record and is told it is. Siders and County Administrator Janice Gilley refuse to admit the address reveals nothing. The sender’s identity will stay anonymous.
Instead of listening to the county attorney, Gilley makes her own request of Attorney General Ashley Moody. In her explanation to the commissioners for her going behind Rogers, Gilley wrote, “I know that the courts have ruled that a governments IP address is public record, however I could not find a specific case in which a government was releasing a private citizens IP address to an anonymous requestor.”
Gilley is heading out of town and is leaving Assistant Debbie Bowers to ask the board of county commissioners to vote on asking Moody for a written opinion at the next commission meeting.
When the county administrator doesn’t trust the county attorney’s legal counsel, one of the two must go. The board will have to vote to terminate either Gilley or Rogers.
Ten to one, Rick, Gilley recruited somebody to put that original request in, or she did it herself.
She knows all about IP addresses. In fact, that’s how she set up unknowing staff on her bogus “Anonymous Employee Tip Line.” The savvy ones knew not to fall into her clutches that way.
Jacqueline Rogers and the rest of the Escambia Disinformation Warroom are well aware IP addresses are public record. They are just pretending they don’t. Now she is claiming Bart Siders is her “hero.” For which thing? Feigned ignorance of public records law, or slave-like devotion?
How do you suppose Jim Little got the information? Doug first, and then Doug and Janice together, ran the exact same game on Fire’s vote of no confidence, the “leaked” DOH complaint, the “leaked” medical billing fiasco, the “leaked” Matt Selover letter (I have Laura Coale’s text messages on that nasty piece of inside work), and the ridiculous lie that Matt Coughlin had told John Dosh to run a super secret evaluation on Dr. Edler. It’s also how Gilley set up her laughable “listening devices” garbage. She has a long history of these kinds of maneuvers, but combine it with Doug’s special talents and we’ll be lucky if there’s even a County left when they’re done with it.
She’s obviously trying to at least set things up for a fat suit against the BOCC if she gets terminated. They should have gotten rid of her a year ago when it was clear she was in over her head. So what if she sues the County? Take the hit and remove her. Or ask her what her number is on resignation. If it’s money she wants, consider it a troll toll and move on.