John Krull: Another day, another scandal

Some things just aren’t a surprise.

The ugly story that emerged regarding the Republican candidate for Indiana secretary of state, Diego Morales, and state party chair Kyle Hupfer is one.

Two women have accused Morales of sexually assaulting them more than a dozen years ago.

Hupfer knew about and sat on the accusations for a month.

The first woman told conservative political writer (and longtime columnist for TheStatehouseFile.com) Abdul-Hakim Shabazz that Morales tried to kiss her repeatedly without her consent and attempted to tear her shirt off. Even though she rebuffed him, he pinned her against a wall and rubbed his body against hers before she could get away.

She was 20 at the time. She is, she told Shabazz, a lifelong Republican.

The second woman said Morales invited her to his apartment once when they both worked in the Indiana secretary of state’s office. She said he tried to force kisses on her and pin her down, but she was able to push him off her and leave.

Afterward, he continued to pester and harass her with sexual requests and innuendoes at work, she told Shabazz.

She was 22. At the time of the alleged assault, she worked in the secretary of state’s office. The secretary of state then was Todd Rokita, a Republican who now is Indiana attorney general.

The Indianapolis Star reported that a Republican contacted GOP state chair Hupfer in August to report the allegations. It appears Hupfer did nothing in response.

After Shabazz broke the news of the women’s charges, Hupfer released a statement defending his inaction:

“Allegations like these should be fully and fairly vetted, and the accuser, accused, and voters deserve a process that allows for such. A political party is not an investigatory or judicial body, as parties lack the means and mechanisms to review these types of allegations, particularly in situations that allegedly took place over a decade ago. The age and timing of these allegations leave no opportunity for due process, and that is unfair to all involved.”

In other words, Hupfer argued he had no responsibility as state party chair to find out if his party’s nominee for a high office had attempted rape.

Twice.

For his part, Morales denied the accusations—and then charged the women with having partisan motivations.

“The women, who will not reveal their identity, cannot corroborate their stories. They have neither documentation nor sources to substantiate their defaming comments. The falsities stem from 15 years ago and were not brought forward until now. Being 39 days out from the election, the timing is clearly politically motivated, especially because the women mention being volunteers and supporters of my opponent,” he said in a statement.

Two things need to be said here.

The first deals with Morales’ argument that the women are carrying water for Democrats.

If these women were trying to hurt the Republican Party, they sure went about it in a funny way.

One either went to Hupfer or sent someone to talk with the GOP chair about her experience with Morales so that the Republican Party would have a chance to sort the situation out internally and quietly. Hupfer chose not to act.

They both then went to Shabazz, who historically has seen the GOP as the source of everything good, wise and just in the political world. If there is any journalist in the state who would bend over backwards to keep the Republican Party safe, it would be Shabazz.

The women’s problem doesn’t seem to be with the GOP.

It’s with Diego Morales.

The second thing has to do with Morales’ credibility.

Since he became the nominee, he’s been caught fudging entries on his resume, inflating his record of military service and shading the truth in varied other ways. Taking his denials on faith isn’t easy.

Morales became the GOP nominee for the office because rightwing Republicans were mad at Gov. Eric Holcomb for treating the coronavirus pandemic as a crisis and refusing to persecute transgender high school students. Morales was willing to give voice to and go along with such delusions and such meanness. That’s why he got the nod over Holcomb’s candidate, Holli Sullivan.

When a party surrenders itself to someone who panders to its worst impulses, that same party shouldn’t be shocked when scandals follow.

Some things just aren’t a surprise.

John Krull is director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students. The views expressed are those of the author only and should not be attributed to Franklin College. Send comments to [email protected].