Cantrell politicking blatant
Former GOP leader defends North Township office work, admits election involvement
NWI Times
Sep 6, 2004
nwitimes.com/news/local/cantrell-politicking-blatant/article_4ff05698-fed4-51ab-a63d-9d56d6381f3d.html
EAST CHICAGO -- Employee transfers among North Township trustee offices several months ago appeared to have carved out a new political power base for Robert Cantrell, a former local Republican Party leader. That is until business associate Nancy Fromm turned government witness last month in a federal case against former Schererville Judge Deborah Riga.
Also possibly chilling Cantrell's influence is the Indiana Supreme Court's Aug. 6 ruling to hold a new 2003 Democratic mayoral primary election in East Chicago because of "textbook chicanery," which involved absentee ballots Cantrell helped poor-relief clients fill out.
Cantrell, who has confirmed he has been paid a "finder's fee" for clients he referred to Fromm's counseling center, was named manager of the North Township trustee's Harbor office in East Chicago months ago.
Sources said the move, which bumped Harry Dean Johnson to the Hammond office of North Township Trustee Greg Cvitkovich, was orchestrated to give Cantrell "free rein" to influence poor-relief clients in East Chicago, and perhaps other elections. Johnson has been perceived as a potential whistle-blower involving election-related activities that go on during township trustee office hours, sources said.
For instance, Johnson testified last September before Special Judge Steven King in the voter fraud trial brought by Mayor Robert Pastrick challenger George Pabey. Johnson told the court he knew little about Cantrell's job performance, even though the two worked in the same office. He also testified overhearing Cantrell claim responsibility for Pastrick's primary victory -- by way of absentee ballots.
The trial also solicited the testimony of Martha Glover, who claimed Cantrell helped her fill out an absentee ballot in the township office, so she could be paid $100 to work at the polls in 2003. Such testimony led to King's ruling that the election was fraught with unacceptable shenanigans, even though he did not overthrow the election.
King's ruling, however, led to the Indiana Supreme Court's decision to hold another 2003 mayoral primary election. It will be held Oct. 26 with the original candidates on the ballot -- Pastrick, Pabey and former East Chicago Judge Lonnie Randolph.
Involvement goes deep
As part of his job, Cantrell has hired poor-relief clients to work at the polls as Republicans, he admitted in testimony before King.
A trial transcript quotes Cantrell as saying, "Poor people like to bounce around a precinct on Election Day" to make money, and that most of the people engaged in that process got paid $100 by the county.
"I paid them out of my pocket, too," Cantrell testified.
Weeks ago, Cantrell confirmed in an interview he has worked with registered voters at the office -- roughly 1,000 per year -- and helped them fill out absentee ballots, and that he sees nothing wrong with that.
The office also has relied on two township workers, Maria Watkins and Roxanne Bartoszek, to notarize 2003 candidacy papers for poor-relief recipients, including Woodrow "Pete" Rancifer and Dorothy Johnson. Cantrell said he helped them fill out both their forms.
Maria Valdez, a lead attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, provided legal assistance to Pabey's challenge of the 2003 election. She said Friday that she is aware of Cantrell's testimony about his election involvement and has put Lake County on notice of its responsibility to run a clean election.
"If some of these things are happening (again) under their watch, we will hold them responsible," Valdez said.
"They have to be vigilant, given the 1999 issues, the 2003 issues -- the lack of training in the past May election. We argued that they let this happen, so they must make sure they are recruiting the right people, that forms are processed the right way, and are done according to the letter of the law. If they let people like Cantrell do what they have done in the past, they will be held responsible."
Cantrell, who has not been accused by federal or state prosecutors of any wrongdoing involving the election, could not be reached over the course of two days for comment.
In an earlier interview, he called himself an emissary for Cvitkovich -- so much so that clients who have never met the trustee have mistaken Cantrell for the officeholder.
But the job isn't just about politics, Cantrell said.
"It's about helping the poor in every possible way," he said.
"I do a lot of PR here. I was born and raised in the Harbor ... I know how to get things done."
Sketchy details
Cantrell, who held an "office liaison" title before, was hired under one of 15 "field inspector" slots years ago, Cvitkovich said, as that was the only position vacant in the salary ordinance at the time.
Cvitkovich refused to allow The Times to review original documents of the salary ordinance -- or the pay individuals received, saying those were his records and the salary information was private.
Cvitkovich did release typed pieces papers that he said were copied from original documents detailing job descriptions and annual pay. The papers say Cantrell earned $36,889 in 2003, $29,618 in 2002 and $30,000 in 2001.
Trial testimony also indicated township employees raised questions about the hours Cantrell actually worked.
But Cantrell said that does not mean he's a ghost-payroller.
"I'm here every day," he said. "Anything I would do, I won't put in writing."
He said he patches up inter-office disputes and spruced up the Harbor office. He said he helped write a $2,500 Harris Foundation grant that led to a backpack giveaway program for kids.
"I don't put my name on it, I put his (Cvitkovich's) name on it," Cantrell said. "I'm a worker bee here."
A Times request for documents to demonstrate Cantrell's work product yielded few papers, however.
Cantrell said he doesn't produce paper. He assembles it, boxes it and destroys it, as part of an authorized Indiana Commission on Public Records destruction program. At least 87 boxes have been marked for destruction so far, from 2002 and back, Cantrell said.
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