Name That Identity Thief

Greg Borowski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel provides the latest installment of the soap opera, All My McGees.

Milwaukee Ald. Michael McGee sought to put one controversy behind him Thursday, admitting to an extramarital affair with the woman who says he threatened to kill her last week after a court hearing.

But new questions arose after the Journal Sentinel reported Thursday that McGee had petitioned to legally change his name - to Michael I. McGee from Michael I. Jackson.

The name-change request stated that McGee, 36, had always been Michael Imanu Jackson, but now wants his last name legally switched to McGee, the name the petition says he has used his entire life.

In a statement issued late Thursday, McGee said he needs the name change to get a U.S. passport. The statement said Jackson is the name on his birth certificate because that is the birth name of his own father, the former alderman also known as Mike McGee.

Now this is news.

Mike McGee, Sr. is really Michael Jackson, Sr.

Who knew?

And, contrary to what Mike McGee, Jr. (AKA Michael Jackson, Jr.) said Wednesday night, he does have a birth certificate.

In a search of public records and commercial databases, the newspaper has found several records of a Michael I. Jackson who shares the birth date and some common addresses with the alderman, but show a different Social Security number.

Wait a minute...

This bothers me. I understand why the JS would search public records, given McGee's evasiveness when the reporter inquired about his identity on Wednesday night.

But, what kind of commercial databases have Social Security numbers available?

No legitimate simple public records search would include Social Security numbers.

If that were the case, identity theft would be rampant.

I find this really disturbing. The JS is saying that individuals' SS numbers are available to anyone looking in all the right places. That makes no sense.

You can't just tap into SS numbers. *

Questions about the Jackson-McGee name overshadowed McGee's acknowledgment Thursday that he had an extramarital affair with Kimley Rucker, 23, who claims to be pregnant with his child.

McGee was arrested after Rucker said he threatened to kill her last week after a court hearing in which a judge tossed out his request for a restraining order against Rucker, who he said has stalked him, and assaulted him March 31. He echoed those claims Thursday, stating he was trying to protect his family by seeking the order.

No charges have been filed against McGee related to his arrest or to statements he made under oath about his relationship with Rucker.

...At an initial court hearing on the restraining order, McGee denied having any romantic relationship with Rucker and any knowledge of an account from which a series of e-mails were sent to Rucker, though McGee's wife then testified it was his account. Later, in explaining his denials, McGee acknowledged having had a single sexual contact with Rucker, but said it was not romantic.

In Thursday's statement, the alderman admits "poor judgment and personal carelessness when I selfishly involved myself in an extramarital affair."

In the statement, McGee also declared: "Given my recent arrest in civil court, I believe there is less than equal protection under the law for elected officials."

At least, McGee has finally acknowledged his affair and apologized.

It's unfortunate that he spoiled that act of decency in expressing his remorse by making the stupid statement about elected officials not having equal protection under the law.

I guess he owned up to his inappropriate behavior because he realized that he needed to stop the bleeding. I guess he knew he would pay a price politically if he didn't come somewhat clean and appear somewhat level-headed.

In the statement about the name issue, McGee says he was born when his father was serving in Vietnam. According to records, the alderman was born in October 1969.

At the time, his father was using his own birth name, Michael Jackson. According to the statement, upon his return from the war, the elder McGee was adopted and "then started using 'McGee' as his last name because it is the last name of his adoptive father."

It is not clear how old the elder McGee would have been at the time, or whether he was formally adopted, or if it refers to being brought into a household and supported.

In the statement, the younger McGee says: "I was then given the McGee last name as well, and have used it ever since."

Public records show that someone has used McGee's legal name, Michael I. Jackson. State Department of Transportation records show that a Michael I. Jackson, of 1456 N. 34th St., and with McGee's birth date, was issued a driver's license in May 1995. The address is one associated with McGee in court records. Two commercial databases show several entries for Michael I. Jackson with the same birth date and with a different Social Security number than McGee's.

That sort of explains the name issue, but again what jumps out at me as odd is this claim about the SS numbers.

WHICH COMMERCIAL DATABASES REVEAL SS NUMBERS?

The article goes on to talk about Jackson being involved in a car accident, traffic violations, and failure to pay the judgments when the drivers of the two other cars sued him. Eventually, his license was revoked.

Is this Jackson the McGee Jackson? The alderman's identity is still unclear. Regarding the accident, McGee says, "I don't recall that."

Let's see. McGee has lied under oath, lied about his affair, lied about his e-mail account, and lied about his birth certificate.

Nevertheless, we're supposed to believe that he doesn't remember if he was involved in a car accident and was sued and then lost his license. That's ridiculous.

How could all of that possibly slip one's mind? I don't believe McGee. He's lying again.

Although the gist of this article is that McGee cannot be trusted to tell the truth, I'm much more concerned about the Social Security number matter.

That story, that SS numbers are so readily available, is the noteworthy revelation in this account.

Someone from the JS should do some investigative reporting on that issue.

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* Dad29 adds that Jessica McBride noted the JS subscribes to KnowX, a search site that for a fee apparently hands over documents with Social Security numbers.

Given that access to a SS number amounts to giving someone the key to an individual's complete personal profile, I see that as aiding and abetting identity thieves.