Scott speaks out on investigation

By Staff
Revenue Commissioner Amanda Scott sent this email out to community members Monday. She asked the Enquirer to include it in this issue, also.
Dear Citizens:
Over the course of the last few weeks, many of you have asked me for more information regarding the political saga at the Morgan County Courthouse. Because I do not believe the Decatur Daily has fully reported my position concerning the County Commission’s investigator looking at my office computer, I hope this letter will answer your questions especially as it relates to the Revenue Commissioner’s office.
Because it was reported by a local television station that an inappropriate email containing sexually explicit pictures had been sent through the Morgan County computer system, the County Commission decided to launch an investigation into the emails and hard drives of certain elected officials and their appointees. While it had been rumored around the courthouse for months that such inappropriate emails existed, I want you to know that I did not leak the email to the media nor do I have a clue as to who was the source of the leak.
As it relates to the Revenue Commissioner’s office, unfortunately, there are persons who for political reasons, are trying to invade my office on a witch-hunt hoping to find that I have done something wrong.
First and foremost, I want you to know that there is certainly no pornography on my computer hard drive and I have nothing to hide about any emails I have sent or received. Second, in an effort to cooperate with the County Commission’s investigation, I offered to have the hard drive on my office computer inspected by the forensic computer expert hired by the Commission. My only objection was that I did not want my hard drive copied, carried to Birmingham, and then made available to unknown persons since there is no security agreement between the Commission and the forensic computer expert to safeguard the confidential taxpayer information contained on county computers.
I want to make it clear to you that:
(1) I have no objection for the hard drive on my office computer being checked for pornography,
(2) I have no objection for the hard drive on my office computer being checked for tampering, and
(3) I have no objection for the emails on my office computer being reviewed.
However, I want such testing to be conducted in my office or that of the forensic computer expert, in my presence, with no copies made of the hard drive. If a copy of the hard drive has to be made for the computer expert to conduct his test, then I want such copy destroyed in my presence at the conclusion of the testing.
The Revenue Commissioner’s office maintains private, personal and sensitive taxpayer information such as social security numbers, personal and business tax returns, business tax identification numbers, personal taxpayer medical information and credit card numbers. I will not jeopardize the integrity of my ability to adequately protect and safeguard such confidential and personal taxpayer documents which by law are not public records and I am required by law to maintain without disclosure to the public.
In an effort to stand my ground and to protect your confidential information contained on all computers in the Revenue Commissioner’s office, I refused to turn over my computer to Commissioner Stacy George. I locked my computer in the vault in my office. However, Commissioner George objected and began making threats against me.
On Thursday, Dec.14, 2006, as I was sitting at my desk in my private office, without even a knock I heard a key being inserted into my door. To my shock and surprise, Commissioner George had ordered an employee of the County Maintenance Department to unlock my private office door. Then, in barges two County sales tax inspectors with guns on their hips, a photographer from the Decatur Daily who is snapping pictures, Decatur Daily reporter Sheryl Marsh and Commissioner George. After these people entered my private office unannounced and uninvited, Commissioner George ordered a representative from the county data processing department to seize my computer.
As your Revenue Commissioner, I am responsible for the collection and distribution of some $45 million and I am not going to stand for any unauthorized entry into my office by Commissioner George, the Decatur Daily or anyone else. Therefore, I changed the locks on my doors to prevent such illegal entry into my office in the future. Commissioner George has no authority to enter my office under any such circumstances.
This follows an incident from February 2006 when a county commissioner, without my knowledge or opportunity to protect sensitive, private and confidential records from public scrutiny, sent county employees to the County Archives building to gather records from my office and delivered them to Decatur Daily reporter Sheryl Marsh. The county commissioner has admitted that these records, contained in over forty (40) banker boxes, were delivered to Ms. Marsh. Without any supervision by county employees, Ms. Marsh was allowed to review these records which by law are confidential. Further, after it came to my attention that these records were allowed to be reviewed by the Decatur Daily reporter, at least two of the boxes of records were missing for six months and were not able to be found by the county commissioner. Because of this very serious incident, I am particularly concerned about any person being allowed to copy my hard drive from my computer or have unauthorized access into my office.
Once again, I want to emphasize that I have absolutely nothing to hide in this so-called investigation being headed up by Commissioner George. I stand ready and willing at any time to allow the County Commission’s forensic computer expert to review the emails and hard drive on my office computer so long as any private taxpayer records are kept confidential and not allowed to be copied and be distributed to unknown persons.
I would like to say that Commissioner George and this investigation are out of control. Some have speculated that Commissioner George’s investigation has cost the Morgan County taxpayers in excess of $20,000. Commissioner George’s investigation appears to have been broadened for his own personal political reasons beyond the scope of trying to determine if county employees are receiving and sending pornographic emails. The manner in which this investigation has been conducted is an embarrassment for Morgan County. Not too many years ago Morgan County was hailed as a shining example throughout Alabama of how county government should operate and sadly that respect has been lost. Please know that there are many qualified county government employees who do a good job everyday and I ask you to thank them whenever you get a chance.
I would also like to take this opportunity to address the internet forum al.com -Decatur. al.com has proven to be a means of communicating the other side of stories that you don’t read about in the local newspaper. Participants use anonymous nicknames or handles when posting on this forum. A downside to this forum is that some participants often post untruthful, negative and hurtful comments. I want you to know that I do not post messages on al.com as Commissioner George and Ms. Marsh have insinuated. In the past I have monitored this forum in an effort to delete lies and untruths about me and my office which escalated to a fury during the June 2006 primaries.
As your Revenue Commissioner, please rest assured that I will continue to fight to protect your privacy rights and will do all that is within my power to protect your confidential information and your tax dollars. I want to say thank you to the countless number of people who have offered me words of encouragement and support. I thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Revenue Commissioner.
Amanda G. Scott, CPA
Revenue Commissioner
P.S. This letter was not sent using any county computers or at any expense to the taxpayers.