<p>Party leader should be ashamed of caucus fiasco; Investigation warranted</p>
<p>Letter to editor:</p>
<p>On Thursday, Aug. 15, a caucus to select a new Johnson County prosecutor was scheduled. Without the courtesy of prior notice to any precinct people or the public, and moments before voting was to take place, the caucus was abruptly canceled by county Republican Chairperson Beth Boyce, under the advice of her attorney, Bill Barrett.</p>
<p>Blame was immediately directed upon others. Boyce and Barrett accepted no fault for their mishandling of the application process and the misleading information distributed to the potential candidates. If Boyce had enforced the statutory application requirements, which any good chairperson should, this embarrassing moment would have been avoided.</p>
<p>There is suspicion that this has happened many times in the past (“business as usual?”) — calling into question the legality of previous caucuses. Investigative reporters, the Indiana State Police and the county and state election boards should be contacted to look back through past caucus filings to see how many candidates filed the proper forms. Many caucuses may have been conducted improperly. If it is discovered that this is the case, Boyce could face felony charges if she verified, under oath and penalty of perjury, that the caucus candidates all complied with the statutory requirements. Unless the favored candidate of the party is elected. Then, who knows?</p>
<p>At the end of her prepared statement, Boyce stated that “the party is 100 percent dedicated to restoring the public’s confidence in the JCPO.” The fiasco Boyce and Barrett created had nothing to do with Boyce’s own misconceived issues with the entire Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office. It was caused by her lack of ability to lead the party. This misplaced statement is reminiscent of Charles Durning dancing to the tune of “The Little Side-Step” in the movie “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” Boyce and Barrett should be ashamed of making it part of their statement as it was just another way of them trying to deflect attention to their attempts to conduct an illegal caucus.</p>
<p>Not surprisingly, Boyce and Barrett did have knowledge of a problem well before the caucus. As recent as the evening before the caucus, they planned to go forward with the vote despite knowing it was illegal. They notified no one. It wasn’t until a candidate had the courage to stand up to them and challenge the vote by filing a lawsuit to stop it. This made the issue public and forced them to, embarrassingly, address something they so desperately attempted to hide from the caucus members and the public.</p>
<p>A mailing sent by the party’s favored candidate states, “clearly there has been an absence of leadership, integrity, professionalism . . . at the highest levels of the prosecutor’s office.” Notice the plurality of that statement. Having been an employee of the JCPO in the past, I take personal offense to that defamatory statement, but I do agree some changes in that office are warranted.</p>
<p>However, the actions of one person should not condemn the entire office — which is exactly what the candidate is doing. The JCPO is mostly filled with dedicated, intelligent, diligent and professional staff and talented attorneys. They vigorously prosecute dangerous criminals, and collect millions of dollars from deadbeat parents. This is something this candidate glosses over and refuses to recognize.</p>
<p>No office, starting with the governor’s office all the way down to the Inspector General’s Office, is without its issues. Recent example: the inspector general (a candidate), who was appointed by the governor, investigated the governor and his wife’s numerous personal use of a casino owner’s private jet. The inspector general contends investigating the governor (her boss who could terminate her) was not a conflict of interest. Really? Her letter also claims she is “a person of principled conduct and integrity.” But her actions as inspector general smell of impropriety and conflict.</p>
<p>Another candidate complains about the lack of jury trials in the our county. Those costly trials are avoided, in large part, because Johnson County has some outstanding police officers and detectives who make good arrests. They provide the prosecutor’s office with solid evidence needed for convictions, so there is no need to burden the county with the expense of jury trials. However, when trial is necessary, the experienced deputy prosecutors have one of the highest conviction rates in the State of Indiana. We need prosecutors with recent experience — not someone 15 years removed from practicing criminal law who worked for the department of labor and transportation much of that time.</p>
<p>The candidate’s quote above is more aptly directed at Boyce than the JCPO. The embarrassment on Aug. 15 was the fault of Boyce and Barrett who have demonstrated what their favorite candidate describes as the “absence of leadership, integrity, professionalism . . . at the highest levels.” Unlike the candidate, we should not condemn the entire Republican party, just Boyce and Barrett. I have the utmost confidence in the remaining Johnson County Republican Party leadership and our elected state and county leaders — as should everyone.</p>
<p>I urge the public to contact any Republican precinct committee person they know. Ask them to request an immediate change “at the highest level” (singular) of the party. Ask them to cast their vote for a candidate based upon qualifications — not just the “party favorite” who hasn’t been involved in a major felony case for over 15 years! That is a very dangerous precedent.</p>
<p>As the candidate herself says, “business as usual must yield to a greater vision.” The same applies to the backdoor politics we are seeing now. Say NO to “politics as usual.” Johnson County residents, who are the precinct chairpersons’ constituents, deserve, and expect, that responsibility from their precinct chairpersons.</p>
<p>James Dunn</p>
<p>White River Township Precinct #8 Republican chairperson</p>
