Reader calls for changes to County Election Board

Dear Editor:

Spring 2003: Jim Brainard announces he will file campaign finance reports weekly in lead-up to Republican mayoral primary. “This is being done in the spirit of openness and the public’s interest in – and right to know – who is exactly supporting these campaigns.” The pre-primary report was “too late in the campaign.” “[T]he people I’ve talked to are very concerned about the money being spent and where it’s coming from.”

October 2005: Speaking of his and other campaign supporters fundraising for a Kokomo mayoral candidate, Brainard says, “It may not be the best system, but it’s the system we have. There are safeguards, and everything is publicly recorded.”

Prior to 2015 Republican primary: Brainard and Woody Rider, Jeff Worrell, Keith Griffin, Sue Finkam, Bruce Kimball, Ron Carter, and Christine Pauley agree to support each other financially in primary.

April 17, 2015: Pre-primary campaign finance reports due for the eight above. No indications of financial support for each other.

May 5, 2015: Primary election where all but Keith Griffin win.

October 16, 2015: All eight above report supporting each other for over $22,000 each on the date of the primary itself.

April 20, 2018 Election Board meeting: Tammy Baitz, Hamilton County Clerk of Court and Election Board member: “Tammy also stated she had contacted Mayor Brainard on Wednesday (April 18, 2018) of this week and that his campaign had since filed corrected [2015] CFAs.”

May 18, 2018 Election Board: Greg [Purvis] moved, and Bob [Becker] seconded, to have Tammy prepare letters to all the candidates listed in Mr. Morris’ letter, advising them that their [2015] reports would need to be amended. It was approved unanimously. Tammy will prepare letters for each candidate and submit to both Bob and Greg for their review before sending out to the candidates.

June 28, 2018 Election Board: Republican Party Chairwoman, Laura Campbell, appointed Ray Adler as the new Republican member of the Board. Tammy nominated Ray as Chairman, Greg seconded, and it was approved.

Oct. 12, 2018 Election Board Meeting: Brainard’s lawyer admits the recently re-filed 2015 reports were still incorrect. Board unanimously approves requiring new (fourth) reports from Brainard by midnight, Oct. 19, and the other seven by Oct. 29.

Nov. 6, 2018: Mr. Adler moved to dismiss the complaint as it appears that no violation had occurred with the original Brainard report filing and to declare the subsequent amended report filing moot. Seconded by Tammy Baitz. After much discussion, the consensus of the board was to encourage the mayor to be more thorough in any future reporting but the amendment was rejected. The Motion to dismiss the complaint carried.

Also, on this date I wrote Lee Buckingham, Prosecutor, asking him to look into this issue and determine if the Board failed in its statutory duty to investigate expeditiously and thoroughly. No response yet.

Nov. 15, 2018: Ray Adler writes to the Hamilton County Reporter: “Finally, anyone with grievances can obtain a [newly created] form from the Hamilton County Clerk, complete the information requested and return to the Clerk so that complaints may be dealt with expeditiously.”

I ask you, fellow engaged citizens, does it look like Ray Adler, Greg Purvis, and Tammy Baitz performed their duties well? I call on Joe Weingarten to replace Greg Purvis with me on this Board. I call on Lee Buckingham to review this. I call on Ray Adler to determine whether focusing on creating a new grievance form is absurd when he thinks that the campaign finance forms required by the state legislature essentially carry no legal weight, much less legal repercussions, for filing incorrectly! Mr. Purvis correctly saw that as a “novel theory”. This tale reads like a novel.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Eric S. Morris

Carmel