Are two former governors of Ohio banned from Columbus City Hall? A leaked document of people Columbus deems security risks includes the names of Bob Taft and Ted Strickland.
One of the latest documents to be found on the dark web from the ransomware attack on the city of Columbus is a list of 200 names of people that are seemingly banned from some or all city buildings.
Cyber criminal group Rhysida attempted to encrypt city systems in July and then leaked personal data of Columbus residents and other city documents to the dark web.
The list includes notes on each person explaining their presence on the list. Some are former employees who were fired, while others allegedly threatened city employees and elected officials.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther's office said it is declining to comment on security matters for the city.
Connor Goodwolf, a Columbus cyber security expert who has been parsing through the data leaked online, found the list in a trove of documents belonging to the city. On top of this list, pictures of people's drivers licenses, concealed carry permits and passport IDs were leaked online.
The city often scans the IDs of people who visit city buildings.
The entries containing Taft and Strickland's names carries a note that reads "PLEASE CHECK THE LICENSE AND RE-SCAN OR TYPE THE CORRECT NAME," implying someone gave Taft's and Strickland's names as fake pseudonyms to avoid being identified.
Strickland, who is currently in Chicago attending the Democratic National Convention, told WOSU he has no memory of ever visiting Columbus City Hall. He joked that if he and Taft are on a list together, that he is in "good company."
"Maybe we've got a common enemy that is using our names. That is quite strange. I don't know if I've ever been in city hall," Strickland said.
Ginther's Deputy Chief of Staff Jennifer Fening declined to answer questions about who created the list, who manages it and what criteria is used to determine if someone is placed on the watchlist and banned from public buildings.
Fening said in an email "current and past elected officials are welcome in our buildings and to engage with city leaders and staff."
It is not known if this is the only such list the city has.
Some of the names carry no explanation for being listed.
Goodwolf said the creation of such a list is concerning. "So we have due process here in the U.S. So a manager or security guard working for the city can't just decide 'hey, I don't like this person. Let's ban them from the property,'" Goodwolf said.
Goodwolf said the city should give each person the capability to also speak up and give a reason for why they were being vocal, abusive or obscene.
"We shouldn't be able to prohibit individuals from entering a city or seeing a specific person just because we don't like them," Goodwolf said.
Goodwolf said the city should be transparent about the list even if it was not public record before the leak.
"With regards to the security procedures, those generally have never been public record. However, given that all of this data is out there, the public is demanding answers and they're not giving it. And now we have two lawsuits in an attempt to force the city to give us answers," Goodwolf said.
Those two lawsuits have been filed by former and current Columbus police officers and a member of the Columbus Division of Fire.
Strickland agreed that the city should be transparent about keeping such a list. He also expects he wouldn't be barred from any public building in the city.
"I assume, as a private citizen, I'm, entitled to be in any public building," Strickland said.
