Charlie White

Charles P. “Charlie” White was the 60th Secretary of State of Indiana from 2011 to 2012. On February 4, 2012 a jury charged White on six felony counts including perjury, theft and voter fraud. White was thereafter stripped of the secretary ship, though it could be reclaimed if his convictions are downgraded to misdemeanors. White, a member of the town council of Fishers, an Indianapolis suburb, along with a former chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party, ran against Democratic architect Vop Osili in an election to succeed Republican incumbent Todd Rokita, who was term restricted. An problem in the campaign was whether or not White continued to offer on the Fishers council even following moving out of Fishers, and illegally voted in his old precinct within hard money lenders the May Republican primary. In February 2009, White moved to a condo in an additional part of Hamilton County. However, he claimed his former home, in which his ex-wife nonetheless lives, as his official residence. White subsequently admitted to voting within the wrong precinct, but blamed a hectic schedule for his failure to change his address. Nonetheless, White won inside a landslide amid the huge Republican wave that swept via Indiana. The state Democratic Party filed suit a month after the election, claiming that White was not eligible to run. The Democrats claimed that a state law requiring Secretary of State Candidates to be registered voters means they should be registered legally. The state Recount Commission dismissed the Democrats’ claim on a video camera stabilizer party-line vote, and White was sworn in on January 6, 2011. In March 2011, White was indicted on seven felony counts including voter fraud, perjury and theft. He is charged with intentionally voting within the incorrect precinct in the primary, continuing to serve on the Fishers council and drawing his salary after moving out of town, and microdermabrasion machines lying about his address on a home loan. He was released from a Hamilton County jail after posting a $10,000 bond. Shortly following the news broke, Governor Mitch Daniels and Indiana’s other statewide elected officials urged White to step aside whilst the charges are pending. White would automatically be forced out of workplace if convicted on any of the charges; Indiana, like most states, doesn’t permit convicted felons to hold office. On April 7, 2011, Marion County Circuit Court judge Louis Rosenberg ordered the Recount Commission to reconsider the Democrats’ legal challenge to White’s place on the ballot. Rosenberg could have issued a ruling on his own authority, but chose not to complete so. If the challenge succeeds, Vop Osili would turn out to be Secretary of State by default. By comparison, if White were forced out of workplace because of his felony case, Daniels could be in a position to appoint his successor. The ruling metal detector specifically needed the Recount Commission to create a finding on the legality of White’s registration. Rosenberg retains control of the case and could problem a ruling himself if he isn’t satisfied with the Recount Commission’s work. Subsequently, White refused himself from the case; the Secretary of State is chairman of the Recount Commission. White was cleared by the Recount Commission inside a bi-partisan 3-0 vote, saying that he intended to make use of his wife’s home as his permanent address. However, the state party asked Rosenberg to review the decision, arguing that it put too much weight on White’s testimony and ignored documents listing his new address. Rosenberg heard the case on November 23, although White was absent. On December 22, 2011, Rosenberg ruled that White tankless water heaters had actually violated election law, and that he had been ineligible to run. Rosenberg ordered the Recount Commission to eliminate White from office and certify Osili, who has because been elected to the Indianapolis City-County Council, as his replacement. White instantly announced he would appeal, and asked Rosenberg to remain his ruling till a higher court can hear the case. The subsequent day, Rosenburg issued a temporary remain on his own ruling until January 3, 2012.