Indiana's now former sec'y of state learns that far-right-wingers can't count on getting away with absolutely anything

As this September 2010 WISH-TV8 report suggested, the chances were slim that anything would be done about Charlie Fisher's little fraudulent-voting problem before the November election, in which he was indeed elected Indiana secretary of state -- the person who would be in charge of state elections! Eventually, though, the problem caught up with him, and the state's Republicans. Result: As of today the state has a Democratic secretary of state.

by Ken

This is a story that not many of us had on our radar, and I'm pleased to give a heap of credit to our colleagues at Bilerico for lighting a match under the story and helping keep the flame burning. It's about, as our friend Bil Browning describes it, " Republican Indiana Secretary of State candidate committing voter fraud to vote for himself in previous elections. (He'd be in charge of, uh, elections.)"

Bil first reported on the story in late September 2010: "Did IN Republican Secretary of State candidate commit voter fraud?" It seems that Charlie White, Gov. Mitch Daniels's hand-picked candidate for secretary of state, while still a councilman from the town of Fishers, an Indianapolis suburb, moved out of the council district he represented and then committed a clearcut case of election fraud by returning to vote for himself in the ensuing primary claiming still to be at his old address. (It gets slimier. When he eventually reregistered, he used not his own new address, which was on the opposite side of town, but one where he had once lived with his by-then-ex-wife!)

It's worth remembering that back then it was widely believed that Governor Daniels would be a candidate for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, and control of his home state's election machinery was surely a far from minor consideration for him. Bil followed up with a report on potential grand-jury issues, including the video at the top of this post, then in October 2010 posted an ad that Democratic secretary of state candidate Vop Osili began running. In March of this year Bil reported that a grand jury indeed returned seven felony charges against poor Charlie. Meanwhile the Democrats pursued the case that he had been ineligible to run for secretary of state, and finally the Marion County Court has agreed and ordered that the remaining eligible candidate, Democrat Voop Isili be sworn in as secretary of state.

Indiana Democrats congratulate Secretary of State Vop Osili

Marion County Circuit Court rules Republican Charlie White was ineligible candidate

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Democratic Party Chair Dan Parker issued the following response to a Marion County Circuit Court ruling today that Democrat Vop Osili be certified as Secretary of State because Republican Charlie White was ineligible to be a candidate for the office.

“More than a year later, justice has finally been served. We applaud this ruling and congratulate Vop Osili as the rightful winner of the 2010 election. This is the second judge in recent weeks to deny Charlie White's attempts to dodge legal responsibility for his actions.

“As a result of his vote fraud, Charlie White was never eligible to be a candidate for this office, and he’s done nothing but embarrass Hoosiers since wrongfully assuming the position. This is a victory for Indiana, and it validates the months we’ve spent making it clear that this kind of behavior should not and will not be tolerated.

“We hope that Vop will be sworn in quickly so that we can restore openness and transparency to an office that’s been clouded by Charlie White’s antics for more than a year.”

Read the court ruling here: http://www.indems.org/page/-/WhiteRuling_2011_12_22.pdf