05192015 - News Article - Campaign complaints linger long after Lake primary

Campaign complaints linger long after Lake primary
NWI Times
May 19, 2015 - 6:04 pm
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/campaign-complaints-linger-long-after-lake-primary/article_927afb90-b3fa-5000-9cbb-611ea4847b28.html

CROWN POINT | A political activist demanded Lake County election officials follow through with investigations of the mayors of Gary and Lake Station two weeks after the voters have spoken.

Ken Davidson, who operates the Northwest Indiana Gazette blog, told the county elections board Tuesday to determine whether Lake Station Mayor Keith Soderquist was within the law last year when he paid $8,500 in campaign funds to his criminal defense lawyer, Scott King of Merrillville.

Soderquist, who lost May 5 to his Democratic primary opponent Christopher Anderson, still awaits trial in August on charges he and his wife gambled at a casino with money diverted from the mayor's campaign treasury and a city food pantry. Soderquist is pleading not guilty.

"Is that a legitimate campaign expense?" Davidson asked the elections board.

"Legal fees are an appropriate expenditure," King responded.

The elections board took the question under advisement for further legal research.

Davidson withdrew complaints about Soderquist paying Frontier Communications $808 for Internet and telephone service and $84 in bank fees after King said the Internet service was used exclusively for the political campaign. King said the bank fees were not penalties for bank overdrafts.

Davidson asked the elections board to act against Chase Street Auto Wrecking of Gary for $2,100 in donations to the Soderquist campaign --  $100 more than the legal limit Indiana for corporation contributions. He also asked them to investigate whether Chase Street made other excessive contributions.

King said Soderquist's campaign will refund the extra $100 if the elections board rules it was excessive.

Davidson also wants an investigation into a $2,000 donation to Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, who won the May 5 primary.

Davidson said the 2013 donation was listed on one of her campaign finance reports as coming from the Gary Community School Corp., which isn't allowed to make political contributions.

Freeman-Wilson said earlier this spring the campaign finance report was in error. She said an individual donor gave the money so Gary School Board members could attend one of her political fundraisers.

Elections board members said they will hear further evidence on that matter next month.