02272020 - News Article - Former Portage Clerk-Treasurer Stidham charged

Former Portage Clerk-Treasurer Stidham charged
Chesterton Tribune
February 27, 2020
http://www.chestertontribune.com/PoliceFireEmergency/former_portage_clerktreasurer_st.htm

Former Portage clerk-treasurer Chris Stidham has been charged in Porter Superior Court with one count of official misconduct.

Following an investigation by the Indiana State Police, Stidham, 37--with a listed address of 2943 Wingstem Drive in Portage--was charged on Tuesday with “creating obligations in excess of appropriations by issuing a bond, certificate, or warrant for the payment of money in excess of appropriation.”

The case was referred by the Porter County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to Special Prosecuting Attorney Stanley M. Levco. The probable cause affidavit detailing the specific circumstances of the charge against Stidham was not immediately available today.

Offical misconduct is a Level 6 felony punishable by a term of six to 30 months.

Former Portage mayor John Cannon released the following statement on Wednesday: “My administration successfully rooted out corruption in Portage, in the face of obstruction by my own Democrat-controlled City Council. I want to thank my special investigative committee, Ron Necco, Bill Fekete, and Steven Nelson, who worked in a bipartisan fashion, with counsel Chris Buckley, to expose this criminal scheme to enrich Mr. Stidham at the taxpayers’ expense. We are gratified that today’s charges vindicate our work.”