Next time somebody says DEMOCRAT VOTER FRUAD ACORN BLAH BLOOGITY BLAH please calmly direct them to Indiana’s GOP Secretary of State Charlie White being convicted on six of seven voting fraud felony counts while being the state’s top election official.
Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White was convicted of six felonies early this morning, and consequently lost his job.
But the Republican could get it back soon.
White, 42, Fishers, plans to ask a judge to reduce his convictions – all class D felonies – to misdemeanors at sentencing. It’s uncertain whether that move would allow him to reclaim his job.
“We don’t know the right answer to that,” White said. “This is all very new.”
Shortly after White’s verdict was read, Gov. Mitch Daniels announced in a news release shortly before 3 a.m. that he has appointed Jerry Bonnet, White’s chief deputy, as interim secretary of state.
“I have chosen not to make a permanent appointment today out of respect for the judge’s authority to lessen the verdict to a misdemeanor and reinstate the elected office holder,” the Republican governor said in the news release. “If the felony convictions are not altered, I anticipate making a permanent appointment quickly.”
Now, if all of these players were Democrats, what would your reaction to this be, conservatives? And what is “law and order moderate” Mitch Daniels thinking, allowing to keep a man convicted of voting fraud as the state’s top election official if the charges get reduced to misdemeanors? If any Democratic party governor tried that, it would be national news about the “corrupt Dem voting fraud machine”. What it means is Daniels is just as corrupt as the rest of them and always has been.
But reports on the actually corrupt Republican voting fraud machine that exists to the point of a Secretary of State being convicted on voting fraud crimes? Doesn’t count. Meanwhile, New Black Panther Party BLAAAAAAAAAARGH!
It’s Okay If You’re A Republican(tm).
dr. bloor
Wait, what? Mr. White thinks that a situation where a Republican is convicted of crimes and then immediately pivots to subvert the law again for his own gain is “new?”
WyldPirate
Projection, it’s what Republicans do best.
They remind me of a kid who cuts a fart and blames his buddy for it.
c u n d gulag
Since Charlie White’s no longer under indictment, but instead,was found guilty, does that mean that the Komen Foundation can’t contribute to him anymore?
And it’s just like Republicans to rehire their guilty members if and when they can.
Anyone remember Little Boots and that vicious Iran-Contra thug Elliott Abrams that his Daddy pardoned?
“The Butcher of Nicaragua” was made Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Democracy, HUMAN RIGHTS, and International Operations.
That’s like making Richard Speck the Dorm Director at a Nurses College.
sloan
WTF?
Mitch Daniels won’t permanently replace his convicted felon Secretary of State until he tries one last trick to see if he can get away with it. You know something has gone terribly wrong when you’re forced to release a statement at 3 a.m. that contains the words “if the felony convictions are not altered”.
I look forward to seeing nonstop coverage of this for the next week just like James O’Keefe would get. Go get ’em, liberal media!
dmsilev
Maybe the conservatives can blame the trial lawyers?
Nutella
@dr. bloor:
What’s new is a Republican criminal being convicted. It’s always a surprise to them because they know their wingnut selves are above the law.
Speaking of felons and voter fraud, nothing ever happened to Ann Coulter. She voted in a district she didn’t live in and got away with it. In two different states!
Hill Dweller
Didn’t a Maryland Republican get convicted of voter suppression/fraud recently?
Cain
So some White guy did some crime. Happens all the time!!
Nutella
@Hill Dweller:
Yep. link
Yutsano
@Cain: Nothing to see here, move along, look forward not backward etc.
BGinCHI
If the Sunday shows didn’t suck balls, they would have Mitch Daniels, a firefighter, a teacher, and a cop on to talk about the new Right to
WorkShit Wages law.Then they would pivot to voting rights in IN, which have always been wrecked by the GOP.
You know, journos, ask some questions. About governing.
Brian R.
@Nutella:
And don’t forget the 2002 phone-jammer guy.
burnspbesq
Can the judge even do that? Any Indiana lawyers out there?
burnspbesq
@dmsilev:
He and his counsel rolled the dice and lost. They can suck it AFAIC.
Amir Khalid
Let’s see if I have this right: This man Charlie White wants the judge to reduce his voting-fraud convictions from felonies to misdemeanors, so that the Governor of Indiana can let him remain Secretary of State — a job where, among other things, White is in charge of certifying the state’s election results.
Sounds perfectly reasonable to me (he said sarcastically). But if the voting fraud means that White is not the rightful Secretary of State in the first place, as the state Democratic party claims, how can he continue on the post? Shouldn’t the Governor wait for the final resolution of that question before deciding what to do about the post?
WyldPirate
@Yutsano:
Sounds suspiciouly like what Obama implied WRT to the war criminals in the previous administration.
burnspbesq
@Amir Khalid:
Applying logic to Indiana politics will only get you a headache.
CarolDuhart2
Letting this guy back in would be like allowing a convicted embezzler to be a Bank President. Who would trust this guy to treat the vote right on any level? Meanwhile in some states, if you are convicted of smoking a joint or selling a dime bag you lose at least your voting rights, let alone any chance of being in a position to administer the voting system.
And letting him back in would create havoc in the voting system. No one would concede a loss because they would never trust this guy to get the count right on either side. Again-letting a convicted shoplifter handle inventory, or an alcoholic tend bar….
sloan
@Amir Khalid: That sounds exactly right. It’s just a big “FUCK YOU” to Democrats because you know damn well Mitch Daniels could get some other GOP hack to commit the exact same crimes in the next election but he’d prefer to stick with the guy who was caught and convicted in the last one. Holding out to see if he can bring back Charlie White is just his way of rubbing our faces in it.
Republicans aren’t even pretending anymore. Mitch Daniels has effectively announced that he intends to allow voter fraud to occur in the state of Indiana this year.
BGinCHI
My Indy insider connection reports that White’s lawyer is just as crooked as he is. Class acts all round.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
I had an FB argument over voter fraud with a former high school classmate. I’ve had a lot of fun putting up posts about voter fraud that have all come from Republicans.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
Also, according to DK, White was not eligible to be SoS, so the Marion District court ordered the Indiana Recount Commission to declare:
Chuck Butcher
In RE ACORN registration “fraud” in the last pres election, they turned in all registrations as required by law, however the actual fraud was by a GOP outfit from NV who were caught throwing away Democratic registrations (dumpstering them).
Mickey Mouse is not going to get a ballot, but then neither are those Democrats who thought they’d registered. Unlike ACORN where there were no voter fraud prosecutions, this one was GOP and it was. Naturally the national news has been full of this story… Naturally, the Democrats have made real hay with …
oh.
Steve
There’s another interesting twist to this. After the guy was elected, the Democrats contested his eligibility, and a judge ruled in December that he was ineligible and – get this – the Democrat who lost the general election gets the office instead!
The judge stayed that ruling to permit the parties to appeal, however, so he got to remain in office temporarily. And that’s how the governor gets to appoint an acting replacement for the time being.
But if that decision is upheld on appeal, it doesn’t even matter if the charges get reduced from felonies to misdemeanors. He would be out and the Democrat would be in. Quite a result!
john m
Daniels has acted like the partisan hack that he is ever since this story broke in 2010. One of many reasons I can’t stand the guy. Still, I do want to clarify that SOS is an elected office, and Daniels has no authority to remove him. If his conviction sticks, he is out by operation of law. If it doesn’t, then he has to be impeached. Also, as others note, there is a suit on appeal that, if a trial court order is upheld, would invalidate his election and allow his democratic opponent from 2010 to get a certificate of election and take office.
feebog
So, if you are the Secretary of State and you are convicted of multiple felony counts of voting fraud, you are out. But, if you are Secretary of State and are covicted of multiple misdemeanor counts of voting fraud, no worries. Voting fraud is voting fraud, and whether it is a felony or a felony reduced to a misdemeanor, it should disqualify White from holding the office of Secretary of State.
Cermet
WTF? This asswipe shit eating animal (spelled republican thug Gov) hates activist judges but says this?
That is so beyond the pale that this proves the elite just dup the asswipes that call themselves republican voters. They are the stupidest MF’ers on earth – period.
rikyrah
the patent absurdity of it all is summed up here.
gbear
I went over to the linked story thinking that the comments might be entertaining.
They’re not. They’re totally predictable.
Emerald
@Belafon (formerly anonevent): Yup. As I understand it, because White didn’t resign before being convicted, it is the LAW that the second place vote getter–the Democrat–is now the official Secretary of State.
That’s what the judge ordered. Because it’s the LAW.
So Daniels just ignores it.
JustBeingPedantic
Conviction on six felony counts, yes, but not all of them were for voting fraud; there were only three of those. The others were one Class D felony count for theft and two Class D felony counts for perjury. The perjury conviction isn’t likely to change because there’s no provision in Indiana law for misdemeanor perjury. Charlie White is going to need to win on appeal or receive a pardon to escape being a convicted felon (and accepting a pardon carries with it an implicit admission of guilt).
GARY CAMPBELL - So the BITCHEZ CAN READ IT-IF they can READ!
My feeling is that public service is a privilege and that any public servant who violates the public trust has committed treason and should be put to death for public malfeasance.
I’d like to see the governor down on the firing line pleading the case for this scum.
That’s what America needs, to clean up the scum who have control of our great nation!
I’d be happy to pull the trigger! Demopublican whatever….if you violate the good of the nation, eat lead slug! Oh, yes, by the way…..BYE MUTHERFUCKER! Tell Jesus we love him, oh, yes, I fergot….you’re going to HELL!
Linnaeus
Of course, folks like Daniels think that most other workers should be fired if they look at their bosses the wrong way.
Citizen_X
Wait, is that a thing? Can I say, “Your Honor, I know I just got convicted of felony Armed Robbery, but can you reduce that to a misdemeanor, please? Kthxbai.”
Somehow, I think not.
RalfW
Well, let’s crank up our own noise machine, Zandar.
The way this works was well demonstrated by the Komen fail. People got mad and made a big ruckus.
That’s how the wingers do their ACORN Voter Fraud Fannie Mae crap. Lots of blog bloviation and yelling.
So let’s yell!
Ab_Normal
@GARY CAMPBELL – So the BITCHEZ CAN READ IT-IF they can READ!:
You might want to consider switching to decaf. Just sayin’.