Indy's Painfully Objective Political Analysis (iPOPA) (eye-pop-uh): Charlie White's Whitewash Effort Defies Logic

Indy's Painfully Objective Political Analysis (iPOPA) (eye-pop-uh): Charlie White's Whitewash Effort Defies Logic

Law-breakers should not be law-makers

This week I have had occasion to expose some misdeeds of a local politician, not just for misconduct in his current office, but something so significant that it should disqualify him from holding any public office.

Of course, the politician is Charlie White, Hamilton County Republican Party chair, member of the Fishers Town Council, and Republican nominee for Secretary of State.  Mr. White moved out of his Town Council district, but claims he was unaware that he was out of his district.  Frankly, that notion (that White was ignorant of his own district) is preposterous for many reasons, not the least of which is that his new home is completely across town from his district, and also is the district of Council President Scott Faultless, with whom White has openly fought in the past, but also because White helped draw those districts.  He then served illegally, and was paid, for seven months.

As offensive as that seems, it is not the worst.  After he moved, White, who is an attorney, voted illegally in a precinct he did not live in, using a false voter registration at his ex-wife's address.  Even if White had an excuse for the other misconduct, does he expect anyone to believe that he did not know where he was at when he went to vote?  Does he think that we will not question his conduct?

No, the evidence is strong that he did this intentionally, so that he could hang onto office in his political base.  If it was intentional, then White may well be a felon.  Look at the following provision of the Indiana Code:

IC 3-14-2-11
Voting in other precincts
     Sec. 11. Except as provided by IC 3-10-10, IC 3-10-11, or IC 3-10-12, a person who knowingly votes or offers to vote in a precinct except the one in which the person is registered and resides commits a Class D felony.  (emphasis added)

Now, Charlie White is claiming that he did not realize when he moved the beginning of March 2010 that he  was outside of his district.  But when he voted 2 months later in the May primary, he knew for a certainty that he did not live at his ex-wife's address miles from his new home.  It is this near-certain knowledge that is of the most concern.  Other than that, this would probably be only a local matter, of not much concern in a statewide race.

But, Charlie White either knowingly broke the law, and thought he could get by with it because of his position, or he is the most ignorant, careless politician imaginable.  Either way, he broke the law.  Law-breakers should not be law-makers.  Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, independents, none of you should consider voting for this person.  There are other choices, chose someone to enforce our election laws who does not break them himself.