reprinted from

June 15, 2006

Anderson foe: 'Who's watching the watchdog?'

Two sets of computer thefts within a month from the offices of Republican State Auditor Patricia Anderson is providing an inviting target in an election year.

Anderson's DFL-endorsed opponent took aim on Wednesday, criticizing Anderson for campaigning in LeSueur on the day after news reports about the thefts.

Otto said if she were auditor, she "wouldn't be out campaigning on a workday the day after a major security breach ... Who's watching the watchdog?"

On Thursday, two DFL legislators, Jim Davnie of Minneapolis and Melissa Hortman of Brooklyn Park, called for an outside security audit of the office. They also said Anderson's office should pay for credit monitoring for the 500 people whose Social Security numbers are on the three stolen computers, an estimated cost of as much as $90,000.

Anderson said her campaigning was appropriate because the theft occurred a week ago. She said she and her staff worked all weekend determining what was on the laptops and sending letters to people with personal information in the computers.

An audit is unnecessary, Anderson said, because her office has already taken "drastic" security measures. "We have already put the best encryption software on these laptops, on top of the password protection, and we have them essentially chained to the desks."

DANE SMITH