Whitehead claims office staffer grabbed constituent info for her own campaign

AHamilton city councillor running againsays an office staffer running in a neighbouring ward has stolen his email list a claim that staffer denies.

Terry Whitehead is theoutgoing Ward 8 councillor and is now running in Ward 14. Colleen Wicken, on leave from working in his office, is running in the newly redrawn Ward 8.

Whitehead allegessomeone grabbed constituentcontact info including his Christmas card list and sent it to Wicken's home. Whitehead says he's notified police.

"I want to regretfully notify you that it has come to my attention that the email database that my office has acquired for the sole purposes of providing news updates, event and meeting notifications has been obtained, without permission or authorization, by Colleen Wicken," Whitehead wrote in an email to constituents this week.

Whitehead is also a member of the Hamilton Police Services board. He's endorsed CHCH-TV weather personality Steve Ruddick in the Ward 8 race.

Such a data breach would be against city policy, he said. And the public and other candidates need to know.

Wickenworked at city hall for nine years.She says no such breach has ever occurred, and she's contacting a lawyer.

"I don't have any file that he's talking about," she said. "I've never had the file. It's an election year. He doesn't want me to get in. He's backing Steve Ruddick. That's all I can say."

Wicken said otherwise, her campaign is going well. "Things are going good at the door."

Whitehead's email encourages constituents who receive unsolicited election-relatedemailsto call his office or police. Hamilton police confirm they've received a complaint from Whitehead.

"We're in the early stages of the investigation," said spokesperson Jackie Penman, "and trying to determine the scope."

Christopher Climie, John-Paul Danko, Anthony Simpson and Eve Adams are also running in Ward 8.

In Ward 14, Whitehead is running against Vincent Samuel, Robert Iszkula, Bryan Wilson and Roslyn French-Sanges.

The municipal election is Oct. 22.