The Attorney General of Indiana has dismissed one of its deputy attorneys general for inappropriate blog posts. As we reported earlier today, the deputy, Jeff Cox, had tweeted on the weekend that Wisconsin protesters at the state capitol in Madison should be dealt with using "live ammunition." Cox also had posted a long string of other inflammatory comments at Twitter, his now-deleted blog Pro-Cynic and his Facebook account. The A.G.'s office stated:
Today the Indiana Attorney General's Office announced that Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Cox is no longer employed by this agency.
The Indiana Attorney General's Office conducted a thorough and expeditious review after "Mother Jones" magazine today published an article attributing private Twitter postings and private blog postings to Cox.
Civility and courtesy toward all members of the public are very important to the Indiana Attorney General's Office. We respect individuals' First Amendment right to express their personal views on private online forums, but as public servants we are held by the public to a higher standard, and we should strive for civility.
Incivility is one thing. But for a public employee of the state's highest legal authority to blithely call for deadly force to be used against peaceful protesters is something else.