Allen Co. GOP Chairman Steve Shine fired his party's executive director after it was learned that he or someone under his direction may have forged the signatures of candidates for as many as 10 township offices in order to qualify them to be placed on the November ballot. The Journal Gazette's Benjamin Lanka reports:
The Allen County Republican Party chairman fired the party’s executive director Monday after it was discovered that several party candidates for township offices could be bumped from the ballot because of forged signatures.
Steve Shine, party chairman, said he terminated Executive Director Douglas Foy’s contract with the party after he confirmed the signatures were not those of the candidates. Shine declined to comment on whether Foy signed the documents, but said as executive director, he was in charge of ensuring that the forms were properly completed.
“Doug (Foy) is a very, very good person, who unfortunately made an error in judgment that was of such significance that it needed to be addressed immediately,” Shine said.
Shine said Foy believed he was doing the candidates a favor.
Shine has been a long-time, well-respected Republican chairman in Allen Co. This isn't the sort of thing folks expect to happen under his leadership. As a consequence, the affected candidates could have their names removed from the ballot, and the person responsible for the forged signatures could face criminal charges.
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Later in the article the "situation" is repeatedly referred to by Foy as a "mistake." A mistake is typing "your" instead of "you're" meaning "you are" or telling someone to turn right at the second light rather than the third....Foy is basically saying that if someone goes into a bank with a gun and says "hold 'em up," it is simply a morally neutral error in judgment or execution. But coming from someone who has worked in the Allen County Republican Old Boy Establishment for so long, it's not a surprising comment.
Forgery has occurred under the watch of the Allen County Election Board, Pam Findlayson. Not once, not twice but a dozen or more signatures for Republican candidates were forged by some one representing the Republican party. Doug Foy was alleged to be the culprit in the story. However, the lack of checks and balances among the two party system here in Allen County is the real culprit, Mr. Foy, is only the fall guy.
The lack of oversight and accountability by independents or other party groups allows for folks like Findlayson and the two main parties' board members, like Andy Downs for the Democrats, and David Wright for the Republicans, to bend, twist and wink at the rules. The voters are the losers, while Findlayson, board members and friends pander to friends, business partners, and democrat and republican political bosses. Findlayson, according to the story allowed parts of the forms to be filed after the deadline, "Pam Finlayson, county elections director, said the party was having problems meeting the deadline. While she still required the candidates to file the primary part of the form on time, she allowed a secondary part of the form, acknowledging a candidateÂ’s consent to campaign finance laws, to be filed later."
This is not the first time, that the republican leaders and election board crew have been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. But the captain spin "golly", Republican leader Steven Shine, error in judgment, Lanka reports, "Doug (Foy) is a very, very good person, who unfortunately made an error in judgment" for "those does not wash when straight out these are grown ass folks chosen to practice dishonesty, and illegal behavior, or are trained in committing acts which would be criminal acts before a court of law. But, for Shine to merely call such behavior a mere error of judgment in administrative matter suggest the crooks action was a one time occurrence and the crooks should be allowed to slink away with egg on their faces, as a warning, without punishment.
The lesson for the party loyalists is to get better at being dishonest to avoid a closer look from voters at the party's political manipulation being aired in the public. And if by change, you are caught, the Allen County Election Board and the Party Chair has your back. I'll said many times, all criminals are not dumb. The Republican Party and street corners crack dealers in the city have a lot in common, they are allowed to operate in a city that winks at permissive criminal activities. Therefore, the media reporting the act with a threat of criminalprosecutionn is just part of the show of a political system that is made up of croynism nepotism and incompetency rolled all together representing the dumbest city in the United States. At least that what was reported in the Men's Health Magazine, and many folks wondered why.
just an observation: Indiana laws callforpolitical balance on the election board, as well as many other appointed boards and commissions.
there are 3 political parties inallen county, mike sylvester being the chairman of the 3rd. yet there are no declared libertarians on any boards or commsiions, especially one of the more important ones- the allen county election board.
which if there was a libertarain election board member, then either one more erson would be on it, or a standing member, such as david wright would have to be bounced off. as the clerk of the courts is a GOP. and andy downs is a dem. the 3rd person would have to be a libertarian by default.
also, regarding the gop "culture of corruption- why are ther still racketeers operating illegal gambling devices all over the city, while the police prosecute penny ante crimes. if the allen county prosecutor and city police have time to clog the courts, and jail a petty violater, than surely the city police and prosceutor can raid the cherrymaster machines at the national cigar store, located 3 storefronts east of GOP HQ, and in the center of local courts, cops, mayor, ect.
then maybe mr knuth could move his party hq into that vacant site, after the racketeers are arrested, and then the local democrats would not have to traipse way out to bfe waynedale to find the oppositions party hq, which is closed most of the time anyway, with an ancient answering machine...
enjoy...
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