TIP LINE

If you have any news tips, gossip or rumors you would like to share or any ideas for future post. Please send an email to: 6vwts@notsharingmy.info or contact us on Twitter: @IndyRepublicanX

You do not have to leave your name. We appreciate greatly your support.


Showing posts with label Brian Slodysko. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brian Slodysko. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Betz & Blevins Mystery Curtis Hill Announcement

The IR gang was surfing around in cyberspace when we came across a tweet by Associated Press Reporter Brian Slodysko. Slodysko’s tweet mentions that tomorrow at 10 AM that the Indianapolis law firm Betz & Blevins will be holding a press conference about embattled Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill.

Here is the tweet in question:


Interestingly Kevin Betz the Managing Partner of Betz & Blevins is not only a former Indiana University Law School classmate of Hill’s. According to Betz’s LinkdIn page he served on Hill’s transition team.


Kevin Betz, Managing Partner at Betz & Blevins 

We are naturally curious as to what exactly Betz & Blevins are going to announce in regards to Hill tomorrow. Given Betz & Hill’s past history together. It seems doubtful that Betz is antagonistic towards Hill. Given Hill’s digging in his heels regarding allegations of groping various women. Indy Republican highly doubts that Hill is going to announce that he is resigning tomorrow. Our best guess is that Betz might be holding the conference to defend Hill and fight back against calls for Hill to resign. Indy Republican has been hearing rumors for sometime now of an ongoing feud between Curtis Hill and Governor Eric Holcomb. According to the scuttlebutt going around the Statehouse some Republicans (possibly including Curtis Hill) want Hill to challenge Holcomb in the 2020 GOP Gubernatorial Primary. So far we have gotten contradictory reports at best about Hill running for Governor in 2020. Our contacts tell us that many political junkies (IR and the Gang included) did not expect Eric Holcomb to beat John Gregg in 2016. Originally so we are told is that Hill didn’t anticipate Holcomb winning. So Hill decided that he would serve his term as Attorney General and then run for Governor against John Gregg in 2020. When that did not happen rumors began circulating that Hill was being talked about as a challenger to Holcomb in 2020.  
We believe that Hill has always wanted to run for Governor. Despite rumors from some of the political rags down town we cannot say if there is a groundswell for Hill to challenge Holcomb or not. As to what Holcomb and Hill’s issues are with each other. IR’s view is that Hill and Holcomb are just two party hacks who are competing to see which one can be the biggest asshole. Could tomorrow’s announcement be a shot across Holcomb’s bow by Hill? Only time will tell. 

We would recommend that our readers listen to last Sunday’s broadcast of “The Rob Kendall Show” for Rob’s insightful thoughts on the whole Hill-Holcomb Clash:




Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Vulgar, Profane, Corrupt and Stingy Todd Rokita

What are we Hoosier's to make of Todd Rokita? IR has been writing about him for sometime now. But the events of the past week even have us stunned at this man's arrogance, condescension, and unbelievable sense of entitlement. Brian Slodysko over at the Associated Press and Rob Kendall host of the "Rob Kendall Show" on WIBC have done a great job at holding Old Todd's feet to the fire. Their are some individuals to whom the people of Indiana owe the greatest debt of gratitude for helping to show Todd Rokita for the clod and buffoon he is. All we can tell you our readers is these persons have been more than generous at helping to get the truth out about Todd. We are eternally grateful to our sources for reaching out to us and trusting INDY REPUBLICAN with much needed information. Now back to less pleasant topics. The chief of them being Theodore "Todd" Rokita.

On April 9th, 2018 Kaitlin Lange over at INDYSTAR reported that:

 Leaders of Trump's Indiana presidential campaign announced their official endorsement of the U.S. Senate candidate Todd Rokita Monday, just days after a report that the congressman called President Donald Trump "vulgar" in early 2016. Rex Early, the Trump Indiana State Chairman, and Tony Samuel, the vice chairman, said what set Rokita apart from the other candidates was how Rokita supported Trump after he secured the GOP nomination.

Ms. Lange cited an article by the Associated Press in which Rokita gave his reasons for endorsing Senator Marco Rubio instead of Donald Trump for the Republican Presidential Nomination in 2016. Rokita is quoted as saying:

"When you see Marco contrasted with Donald Trump — I mean someone who is vulgar, if not profane," Rokita said at the time. "At some point you have to be presidential. People expect that and you see that in Marco Rubio."

Let's stop and examine Rokita's standards regarding what he considers "Vulgar, if not profane". In light of Rokita's endorsement of Marco Rubio for the GOP Presidential Nomination. Rokita must have some rather unusual idea of what constitutes vulgarity. Gary Welsh over at Advance Indiana in February 2016 wrote a post called "Marco Rubio's Days May Be Numbered". Gary reported on rumors that Marco Rubio having attended gay foam parties in South Beach, Flordia. Gary even provided these photos which appear to be of Rubio. One shows Rubio looking like a Chippendales Dancer, the other shows what maybe Rubio at gay foam party. One person commented on Welsh's post: "Evidently, Chris Christie was on the mark when describing Tio Taco Rubio as 'the boy in the bubble'.

Here are the photos in question. Look at them if you dare:




Marco seems to be devoid of vulgarity and profanity in Rokita's eyes. Which is interesting considering sources have told us that Rokita and Rubio share many similarities OUTWARD appearance however is not one of them. 

Rokita in his haste to try and make himself look important jumped on the endorsements of the leaders of Trump's 2016 Indiana Campaign as proof that President Trump was endorsing him in the Senate Primary. As usual Todd jumped the gun. Brian Slodysko reporting for the AP on April 18th, 2018 that: 

Donald Trump’s re-election campaign has demanded that Rep. Todd Rokita take down yard signs it says give the false impression the president endorsed the Indiana Republican’s Senate bid, two people with direct knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press. The rebuke came after two volunteers who led Trump’s bare-bones 2016 campaign in Vice President Mike Pence’s home state endorsed Rokita during an Indianapolis news conference last week.The Rokita signs, which have gone up since that event, proclaim in large white letters “Endorsed by Trump/Pence,” with smaller letters below adding “2016 Indiana Team Leaders.”




All the Rokita campaign said is "We do not comment on yard sign strategy". Here is what some of Rokita's yard signs look like since being bitch slapped by Trump officials:




INDY REPUBLICAN has made clear in the past that most of us here are not Trump supporters. But by what twist of logic can Rokita having been endorsed by some of Trump's campaign staff translate into an endorsement from Trump? What's next is Todd going to receive a pastor's endorsement and then claim God is backing him? Or what if some Kroger or Eli Lilly worker endorses him? Is he then going to claim that he has the backing of Kroger or Eli Lilly?

A reader sent in their idea of what kind of sign Todd would make up to convince people God was on his side:



Todd cannot even get it right when attacking his opponents. Here is a tweet in which someone responded to Rokita's attack on Mike Braun facing lawsuits over pay issues:



In several past posts on this blog. IR has pointed out how Rokita loves to misuse his office staff to further his political ambitions. We have mentioned how he used his office staff when he was Indiana Secretary of State to do political work for him on government time. And how some complaints were made to the Marion County Prosecutor's Office and the State's Inspector General as far back as 2011. But nothing was ever done. Turns out Rokita appears to still be continuing his habit of using office staff for political work. Rob Kendall posted an interesting find on Twitter earlier today:






Hat tip to Mister Rob Kendall for catching old Todd in the act. None of us here have ever met Nathan Brand Todd Rokita's spokesman. But he seems to be a poor man's version of his boss. Being Todd Rokita is bad enough. But being a pale imitation of Todd that is just pathetic! Oh and thanks again to our "sources". Until next time this is IR saying keep up the pressure on frauds and fakes like Todd Rokita. We will be back in awhile. Until our next post,Goodnight Everyone! That's a wrap! 

Monday, April 16, 2018

Rokita's Ethics Problems are Much Worse Than you Think

Congressman Todd Rokita


INDY REPULICAN's least favorite Indiana Congressman just cannot seem to stop getting his hands caught in the cookie jar as Rokita wrongly decrees he is legally allowed to steal the cookies. Just as the "laughbox" is activated for sitcoms, Hoosier voters are repeatedly fed words such "unsubstantiated", "de minimus" and 'we received a private and secret ethics opinion' overtime Rokita is caught blowing money like a drunkin' sailor to promote himself and support his campaigns while allegedly "working" at his so-called "duty station".  Last Friday Brian Slodysko reportedthat when Rokita was Indiana Secretary of State that the Indiana GOP had locked him out of their donor database back in 2009.

Slodysko reports:

Todd Rokita likely violated ethics laws as Indiana's secretary of state by repeatedly accessing a Republican donor database from his government office, prompting party officials to lock him out of the system until he angrily complained, three former GOP officials told The Associated Press. The alleged ethics flap over Rokita's use of the Indiana Republican Party's Salesforce database during work hours occurred in 2009, as he was wrapping up a second term as the state's chief elections official and angling for higher office. Indiana law prohibits state employees from engaging in political activity while on duty or acting in an official capacity. It also prohibits work on anything outside official duties while on the clock, or ordering others to do so, and from using state resources for political purposes. The former officials, who have direct knowledge of the situation, spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk about it publicly. They did not report Rokita's activity to authorities at the time.

(While the above sources had not filed complaints, IR has learned complaints nonetheless had been filed against Rokita as far back as 2011 over the same issue and the Inspector General's Office still refuse to issue a response)

Rokita's campaign spokesman Nathan Brand said Thursday April 12th, 2018 that Rokita used the database to keep his personal rolodex, which Brand said was allowed under state ethics guidance the office received. However, Rokita's campaign could not produce documents outlining the guidance, and the office of current Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson said it could not locate any such records. State party officials were alarmed when they discovered that a computer in Rokita's Statehouse office frequently logged in to the database containing detailed campaign information on activists and donors. They froze his access to the system but restored it after Rokita complained. 

Slodysko also reports that mailers from the Secretary of State's Office were sent out to some county republican chairmen about Rokita's "Rethinking Redistricting" which garned a great deal of attention during Rokita's successful run for Congress in 2010. Two legal experts interviewed by Slodysko did not believe that Rokita's use of state resources and employees was legal. David Orentlicher a lawyer and former Democratic state legislator from Indiana said: "Using your government staff (for political business) during their work day, while they are using government resources? This is well across the line and not a hard call." Indianapolis attorney Bill Groth said he believes that Rokita or his employees were "engaging in unlawful political activity, the unlawful use of state property, and ghost employment." "Indiana law strictly requires elected state officials to wall off their public duties from political activities," Groth said.

Since the Secretary of State has NO STATUTORY POWER to draw legislative and congressional district lines, one has to question why Rokita spend thousands of dollars of taxpayer funds on a Rethinking Redistricting websites, promotional materials and a professionally made video shown at political dinners around the state in 2010. The expenditures constituted a bald-faced effort by Rokita to promote himself as he was trying to secure future "public employment" as his term of Secretary of State was winding down. Other politicians could be prosecuted for theft for the same actions.

We are very impressed with Brian Slodysko's article and we encourage everyone to go read the entire article. Slodysko should have asked these officials why they did not report Todd Rokita to the authorities.  Our readers may recall that we blogged in February of last year about former Indiana Schools Superintendent Tony Bennett's issues with misusing his office personnel and resources to try to get reelected to his job in 2012. In that post we also referred our readers to a post Gary Welsh over at Advance Indiana had made back in 2014 that discussed not only Bennett's problems but pointed out how Todd Rokita probably had very similar problems himself

The responses out of Rokita's camp sounds as if they have something to hide. The dearth of any substance in Rokita's attempt to defend themselves is nothing short of embarrassing. Here is what some others are saying about Rokita's response to AP's story:




As soon as this story hit the AP wire IR was immediately contacted by several of our sources stating that various government officials were aware or had been made aware of Mister Rokita's unethical, possibly criminal actions as far back as 2011 but that nothing was done about them. We find it impossible to believe that journalists in Indiana are only just now finding out about this. Here is just some of what we have heard about Rokita and the claim that his misusing his state office is a new revelation:


"The AP was informed that in March/April 2011 reports were made to the IG and to the Marion county prosecutor and no one cared" 


"AP was even given the name of the software platforms (campaign sales force and later backoffice) and the shared file the employees updated (for Todd Rokita) named “Lucy”

"Word around the water cooler was Curry’s chief deputy David Rimstidt back in 2011 was told by several people about Rokita’s indiscretions but did less than nothing."

Interestingly the late great Gary Welsh wrote here and here about Rimstidt on Advance Indiana in 2010. Rimstidt appears to be somewhat shady to many. 

“The Inspector General was asked back around 2011 if Rokita’s activities were not illegal nor unethical, that if they were in fact ethical and legal. You think they would have whipped the fantasy opinion out to show what they had sent to Rokita but they never got issued anything about Old Todd”

"Republican state committee people were up in arms when they found out he (Todd Rokita) was using campaign sales force and Rokita yelled at them when they turned off his account. He started using “backoffice” so the state party couldn’t monitor his use of office staff for this shit"

IR has been told by our sources that “Lucy” was the name of the shared file of the spreadsheet that Rokita would have his staff update names of donors, contact info, talking points for TR and the amounts of donations to other campaigns During his 2010 congressional run.These were spreadsheets he (Todd Rokita) used to keep information on whom to call for money when he was in the car. Our sources told INDY REPUBLICAN they haven’t the first clue where the "Lucy" file was kept. All that is known is that "Lucy" was accidentally found saved on the hard drive in the executive office in 2011. Many of our sources have been trying to find out why the file was called "Lucy" as one informant told us: "Kinda sticks in your head because you want to know “why did they call it Lucy?!”

If you feel a burning sensation in your wallet do not panic and hold on to it tight as it is only a warning that Rokita is near to feed his mammoth hunger for more ill-gotten money. Our sources also claim that Rokita received reimbursements and payments that he was not legally allowed to take:

"Rokita bragged in speeches around Indiana for eight years that he did not take a state car as Secretary of State, insinuating he was saving the taxpayers money.  What Rokita concealed from Hoosiers was that he was constantly receiving reimbursements for mileage from the State for use of his campaign car. Many in the State would argue it would have been better for Rokita to simply have his gas paid for using a state vehicle instead of mileage reimbursements."

"Rokita also received an extra paycheck and annual healthcare deposit by mistake from the State Auditor in January of 2011 as if he were Secretary of State while he was a congressman. Rokita of course refused to pay it back immediately unless he was first paid 11,000 for his “comp time” from when he was COS for Gilroy (even though the books had been closed for years for his time as COS for Gilroy). Executive Broadband employees do not get a check for past comp time after they vacate a particular position. Further, Rokita had previously denied other past executive broadband employees request for a cash reimbursement for comp time. Rumors were swirling about some “deal” he made to pay the money back in 2012 or 2013 before the board of accounts was starting to try to reconcile everything. For any other people, this would be theft."

INDY REPUBLICAN seriously doubts Todd Rokita got an ethics opinion on what he was doing with Salesforce. If he had received such an opinion publicly, Tony Bennett would have used it to defend himself. As our sources tell us “Rokita is only a master of using his staff for ghost employment. As Tony Bennett was slapped with ethics fines over the "red meat" list former Rokita staffer Cam Savage downloaded on public computers, many do not realize that Tony Bennett's action were naive child's play compared to the Rokita's."  All Hoosier taxpayers should challenge Rokita to produce his ethics opinion, whether issued publicly or privately, where the Inspector General made criminal ghost employment and theft of public resources suddenly legal just for him. 

IR would like to thank our sources for sharing with us their knowledge of Congressman Rokita, We genuinely appreciate, and understand the immense risks these brave people are taking by speaking to us, We want them to know that we are very grateful to them and encourage them to keep up the good fight. Here's to good old Todd getting his ass handed to him on a platter! With French-fried potatoes!

P.S. Not sure how accurate this is but Brian Slodysko tweeted yesterday that he found and interesting article on Wikipedia for the word "Rokita". All we can say is that if this Wikipedia entry is accurate it explains a great deal about Todd:






Ironic how ancient folklore even reveals Rokita to be a swamp creature, terrorizing hardworking Hoosier taxpayers all while he claims to be at his "duty station". If President Trump were still the host of the Apprentice, it would be funny to see the look on Rokita's face as Trump told him "You're Fired!"

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Is the firing of former Indiana Homeland Security CFO a political cover up?





Indy Republican has been hearing from its readers about corruption and mismanagement at the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS). We have even heard rumors that IDHS is even going so far as to damage former IDHS employees to keep prying eyes away from them.

If that is what the powers that be wanted, then they are about to develop ulcers. The prying eyes are not going away.

IR's curiosity was piqued. So naturally we all decided to take a look at IDHS. And after looking into these matters. We must confess that what we found surprised even us hardened, jaded, and battle-scarred activists. But also we have a greater respect for the journalistic prowess of Sandra Chapman of WTHR-TV, and Brian Slodysko of the Associated Press, and Tony Cook of the Indianapolis Star. 

Brian Slodysko at AP in an article published today on INDYSTAR.COM "Ethics panel forever bans state government employee" had this to say:

An ethics panel found Thursday that a former state administrator violated Indiana’s nepotism law by hiring three relatives to work at her agency.

The Indiana State Ethics Commission unanimously approved banning former Department of Homeland Security administrator Leann Walton from ever working in state government.

IndyStar was the first to report Walton was fired as the agency’s chief financial officer in August 2016.

Emails produced through an investigation by Inspector General’s office show Walton hired her aunt, sister and stepdaughter to positions in the agency. Walton’s aunt and sister were in her direct line of supervision. Her stepdaughter worked in another division.

Indiana’s ethics law states that an “individual employed in an agency may not hire a relative” or have a relative in their “direct line of supervision.”

Tony Cook's August 26th, 2016 article "Indiana's homeland security CFO fired after family members hired" provides some more background information from Mrs. Walton and her attorney Steven Fulk pertaining to Mrs. Walton's termination at IDHS.

Tony Cook reported:

The state is disclosing few details about the Aug. 9 termination of Leann Walton, 47, of Danville, who had been the agency's CFO since 2012.

A Homeland Security department spokesman referred IndyStar to the state personnel department, which provided a one-sentence explanation of the firing.

"Leann Walton was dismissed from the Department of Homeland Security on 8/9/16 for poor (judgment) and lack of candor related to her involvement in the agency engaging the services of her relatives," the description said.

Neither the Homeland Security nor personnel departments would provide further details.

Walton's sister, Lisa Hunt, worked at the agency from April 29 to Aug. 5. Her aunt, Patricia Burdine, also worked at the agency from April 8 to July 22. Both were hired through a temporary agency.

State law prohibits nepotism, or the hiring of relatives. It also says employees may not be placed in a relative's direct line of supervision.

Walton and her attorney, Steven Fulk, told IndyStar that she did not play a role in the decision to hire Hunt and Burdine and did not directly supervise them. The state personnel department was aware of the relationships among the three women and signed off on the hirings, they said.

Hunt and Fulk suggested there were other motives behind the firing.

During that same period of time, Walton had been questioning "why she was the lowest paid CFO in the state, and why it appeared she was being paid less on basis of her gender," Fulk said.

When Walton was passed over for a raise in May despite three years of exceeding or meeting expectations on her annual performance reviews, she wrote a letter to the state personnel department explaining why she felt she deserved a raise, Fulk said.

A short time later, Department of Homeland Security Executive Director David Kane expressed concerns about the employment of her relatives, even though the personnel department had cleared the hirings, Walton said.

"He told me he didn’t think I understood the nepotism rule," she said.

She ended up getting approved for a raise, but was then fired, she said. Her termination letter cites "poor (judgment) and lack of candor," but does not mention her relatives, she said.

WTHR's Sandra Chapman's "13 Investigates" has this to add:

"I was terminated unfairly. I didn't hire anyone," the embattled Walton told 13 Investigates.

But Indiana's Ethics Commission disagrees and upheld charges of nepotism against her.

"Our office received numerous complaints that she was hiring relatives," said Lori Torres, the Inspector General for Indiana.

In its unanimous 5-to-zero vote Thursday, the Ethics Commission determined that Leeann Walton hid the fact that she helped her relatives get jobs.

Walton admitted she handed over resumes for her family members and reported payment information for the positions but insists she was told by a DHS personnel director there wasn't a problem.

"As long as there was no direct line of supervision, they weren't a direct report to you and you didn't participate in their interview process, which I did not, it wasn't going to be an issue. So I didn't feel like I had done anything wrong," she explained.

But investigators with the Indiana Inspector General's office say the state's nepotism rule has been updated.

"Indiana Code 4-26-16(c) simply states that an individual employed by an agency may not hire a relative. Mrs. Walton had the authority to affect the employment and all those under her office," said Stephanie Mullaney of the Inspector General’s office.

Walton's attorney argues the charges are a stretch from the intent of the law.

"There's not a single state witness that said Lee Ann Walton hired anybody. There's no basis in fact for finding she somehow violated the nepotism rules. No base in law," said Steve Fulk.

Fulk said the women were all hired by the temporary agency.

The State points to text messages Walton wrote after the secret was out.

One of Walton's staff members wrote: "...asked me if I knew if Pat was related to you. Apparently he and the director have heard the rumors. I gave Pat a heads-up and wanted to let you know too," wrote the staff member.

To which Walton replied "I'm not sure what the hell. If she has told people then she should be let go. I can't have her there."

Walton, her aunt and sister were all terminated from DHS. Walton's step-daughter took a job at another state agency. Still, Walton believes she's being targeted.

"This has been extremely difficult," said Walton, choking back tears.

"She misrepresented her role to the commission," Torres told 13 Investigates. "People are watching. It was the people at Homeland Security that made these reports to us," she added.

Walton, who worked for several state agencies over 21 years and never had disciplinary action until her firing, says she appealed the charges of nepotism because relatives of other employees are working together within state agencies.

Torres says employees may be working at the same agency, but not knowingly under the supervision of another relative. Torres says in some rare cases there could be special exceptions that are approved by the commission.

The timing of Leann Walton's termination being so close to her having complained about being passed over for a pay raise doesn't pass the smell test. Especially since her termination letter made no reference to her having allegedly hiring relatives. The State of Indiana especially since the election of former "Godfather" Governor Mitch Daniels is well known for trumping up bogus ethics violations to get rid of state employees that won't bow down and engage in the cult worship of the Governor at the time. This practice continued on under "Pampered" Pence and now Governor Eric "Bagman" Holcomb. In our experience any case in which the Indiana State Ethics Commission brings charges against a current or former state employee. It is best to operate under the assumption that the state is railroading said state employee until proven otherwise. Steven Fulk the attorney representing Leann Walton released a statement to WTHR that raises even more questions about the state's case against Walton:

"We appreciate the work of chairman James Clevenger and the members of the Indiana State Ethics Commission in their attempt to interpret and follow the rule of law. We support of the Commission's function in seeking to uphold the ethical functioning of state government.
"More importantly, I stand resolutely with my client Leann Walton and with the evidence adduced at her ethics hearing to pursue, likewise by the rule of law, the correction of the Commission's error in its order today.
"Given that the State's own witnesses admitted that Leann Walton hired and/or supervised no relatives, we are hopeful that the commission will see its error without in the necessity of judicial review. 
"IDHS employees and hearing witnesses Kim Snyder and Beth Hampshire testified that they recommended Pat Burdine and Lisa Hunt (respectively) as independent contractors, and Ashley Walton was hired by Dave Smith and Robert Johnson within the State Fire Marshal's office. There was no evidence to the contrary.
"Additionally, because these individuals were not even State employees, but KHI contractors, as the state had been under a hiring freeze since 2016, we hope the commission will see the further error in its ruling.
"As the process of correcting such errors grinds on, we remain focused on the continuing revelations of systemic mismanagement within IDHS, including inappropriate use of federal funds, fraudulent utilization of Leann Walton's electronic credentials for FEMA funding access
and cash draws, the continuing climate of retribution surrounding reporting civil rights violations within the department (such as that suffered by Leann Walton), and the intentional omission of such equal employment opportunity violations in securing federal funds through the grants application/request process--from which revelations today's erroneous ruling is but a temporary distraction." 
Steven Fulk, Attorney at Law
If Mr. Falk's statement is true that Leann Walton's electronic credentials were fraudulently used to access FEMA federal funds. Then the Holcomb administration in the words of the great Desi Arnez has "some splaining to do"! Will Falk's allegations of mismanagement of FEMA funds at IDHS come to light at a later date? We will have to wait and see. So our fellow "armchair sleuths" please feel free to examine this story about FEMA funds from WTHR's website:


Until next time from all of us here at INDY REPUBLICAN. May God Bless You and the United States of America!