Another formidable resource in fighting public corruption
The issue: The FBI
Jan 19, 2004
nwitimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/another-formidable-resource-in-fighting-public-corruption/article_2e7ce36c-9ce4-56d9-8dd4-c367bcc07ea0.html
Our opinion: With elections this year, a federal investigation of voter fraud will put crooked politicians on notice that this hanky-panky is a bad idea.
Added muscle is about to be flexed to investigate allegations of systematic vote-buying and potential collusion of election officials in last year's primary elections in East Chicago and Schererville.
The FBI has joined the hunt. The bureau and the U.S. Attorney's office join Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter, the Indiana State Police and Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter on the trail of likely shenanigans in the primary elections.
This is welcome news. The more investigative skills applied to the task of weeding out public corruption here, the better.
Much work has already been done, but the involvement of the FBI, with its formidable resources and power, could quicken the pace.
A special grant jury jointly conducted by the two Carters has spent months investigating the allegations. So far, the only indictments have been of an elderly Hobart Township couple, on allegations they illegally cast absentee ballots for incumbent East Chicago Mayor Robert Pastrick even though they live outside East Chicago.
Then there is the framework assembled during two recount trials, in the Democratic primary races for the nomination for East Chicago mayor and for Schererville town judge.
Special Lake Superior Court Judge Steven King last summer issued a 104-page opinion in the recount trial for the East Chicago Democratic primary. He called incumbent Mayor Robert Pastrick's victory a "textbook example of chicanery," but determined that Pastrick had enough votes to win even after 155 votes were tossed.
In the other recount case, Lake Superior Court Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura issued a 45-page ruling chastising Robert Grkinich, campaign worker for incumbent Judge Deborah Riga, for "illegal, deliberate actions" to either forge or fabricate 23 absentee ballots.
Riga, like Pastrick, was named the winner only after absentee ballots were counted. In the recount trial, Bonaventura named Riga challenger Kenneth Anderson the winner after tossing the 23 ballots.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Van Bokkelen convinced the U.S. Justice Department in Washington to get the FBI involved. Give him credit for that move.
Attorney General Carter, a Republican, moved swiftly to join the probe when Prosecutor Carter, a Democrat, sought his help. It is truly unique and welcome that a bipartisan investigation is taking place to right any wrongs.
A side benefit will be that with federal, state and county races on the ballot this year, a federal investigation of voter fraud will put crooked politicians on notice that this hanky-panky is a bad idea.
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