Pettis County clerk sues county commission, IT department head over recordings
SEDALIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Pettis County clerk and two employees have sued the Pettis County Commission and the head of the county’s IT department after claiming they were recorded illegally.
The lawsuit – filed on Wednesday -- claims the audio and video recordings violate voters’ rights to cast their ballots in secret, are an invasion of privacy and could be considered illegal wiretapping. The county clerk is the county's chief election official.
In June 2022, the County Clerk’s Office moved to the Pettis County Courthouse. County Clerk Nick La Strada and his staff began prepping for the 2022 primary and general elections shortly after and became aware of cameras located inside and outside of the building.
The lawsuit claims on June 8, 2022, IT employees told La Strada the cameras did not record audio. It also claims on the same date, that IT and maintenance employees had access to transmissions from the camera.
The lawsuit states the county commissioners or any employee in the IT department never requested “permission or consent to record, listen to, or view audio or video transmissions from the cameras.”
On Oct. 14, La Strada learned IT employees were allegedly transmitting and recording audio and video, the lawsuit claims. La Strada informed the Pettis County sheriff and prosecuting attorney.
On the same date, director of the IT department Brent Denomme – who is one of the defendants listed in the suit -- allegedly told commissioners that audio and video were available during a “live stream” because the microphones and cameras were enabled, according to court documents.
Video recordings from the cameras included employees changing clothes and “in states of partial nudity," according to the lawsuit.
No hearings have been set, according to online court records.
County commissioners were not available for comment Thursday afternoon.
