02172004 - News Article - Resurrection of probe is good news - The issue: Absentee ballots - ROBERT CANTRELL

Resurrection of probe is good news
The issue: Absentee ballots
Our opinion: Letting the investigation die would leave too many questions unanswered. Those questions need to be answered if the political culture here is to change for the better
NWI Times
Feb 17, 2004
nwitimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/resurrection-of-probe-is-good-news/article_84480b32-2d8d-59d6-8c47-0be7d28c2b97.html
After lying dormant for so long most people forgot about it, an investigation into vote fraud in the 1999 East Chicago Democratic primary is alive again. The special prosecutor on the case is looking into four-year-old allegations that campaign workers bought votes and forged signatures on absentee ballots.

This is an important development, coming less than three months before the statute of limitations runs out. More to the point, it could shed more light on how votes are cast and winners declared in Lake County, where questionable political practices are accepted as a matter of routine. Hopefully, it could show whether there is a clear pattern of abuse of the absentee ballot system. If so, indictments would send a clear message to political operatives here that these kinds of abuses will no longer be tolerated.

As Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita put it, "It isn't enough to address half that corruption."

He was referring to the fact that a special grand jury has been looking into allegations of vote fraud in last year's East Chicago and Schererville primaries. Last week, in fact, that grand jury indicted Robert "Bosko" Grkinich of Schererville on charges he corrupted voters and violated absentee ballot laws to favor Schererville Town Judge Deborah Riga. She won the election, but a recount trial threw out enough absentee ballots to give the bench to Kenneth Anderson.

Rokita had been pressing for the 1999 case to be reopened. He was correct to do so.

Letting the investigation die would leave too many questions unanswered. Those questions need to be answered and addressed if the political culture here is to change for the better.