Both of Fort Wayne's major newspapers take GOP mayoral candidate Matt Kelty to task for misrepresenting the source of $160,000 in loans to his campaign prior to the May primary. The News-Sentinel has a particularly strong editorial retracing Kelty's pattern of deceit throughout his campaign to date, including the following: sending out absentee ballots which didn't follow the law; claiming a Zogby poll paid for by Fred Rost was not done on behalf of his campaign, only to later acknowledge it as an in-kind contribution; reporting $160,000 in loans from Rost and another Fort Wayne company as a personal loan and belatedly amending his campaign finance reports to acknowledge the loans true source after he was pressured by local GOP leaders to come clean; and my personal favorite, claiming to be a walk-on player for Notre Dame's football team (school records disagree). Referring to his latest campaign law violation, the News-Sentinel writes, "Kelty should sweep away this suspicion and uncertainty - or make room for another Republican candidate for mayor."
The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette wants to know more about Kelty's "curious contributions." "His evasive response to questions raised by Republican officials casts suspicion on the candidate’s integrity," the editors write. "It is disingenuous for Kelty to suggest Indiana law is “unclear” with regard to disclosure of campaign contributions." "The law defines a contribution as 'cash, checks, gifts of property or services, loans, in-kind contributions, or any other things received by the committee that have value.'”
The Allen County GOP needs to end this bleeding soon. The only way to do that is to tell Kelty to step aside in favor of the man who is more well-suited and qualified for the job--Nelson Peters. Otherwise, the party stands a good chance of failing this year in its efforts to win back the Fort Wayne mayor's office.
8 comments:
Right about now...I'm betting that Graham Richard is wishing he had run again.
Nelson Peters would have more problems than Matt....Nelson's a highlight of the following items:
(1.) Had YLNI publically endorse him, an illegal move by the nonprofit organization, which could cost them their 501(c)3 status.
(2.) Stole Matt's and other Republican Candidates signs in Aboite.
(3.) Inappropriately funneling tax funds to his own business for personal interest.
(4.) Had The Chapel ( a 501c3) church publically endorse him in all sermons.
Ok, AI, I'm going to say this one more time: STOP WRITING ABOUT FORT WAYNE POLITICS! . You clearly only report what the newspapers say and have no personal connections to the area, which leaves your reporting on the mayor's race hugely misleading and lacking. Kelty is not a crook- the allegations of felonies are clearly weak attempts by the disgruntled Fort Wayne Republican elite who all backed Nelson Peters to get their man on the ballot. Kelty is a genuinely good man, and I don't believe for a second any of these frivolous accusations were intentional.
Let's get over these petty accusations and start talking about the real issues. Maybe that's what Kelty's opponents are really concerned about.
Kelty: is that really you writing under the grandstanding pseudonym of "Christian"? You are trying to keep folk from writing about a campaign? Sounds like censorship! The wingnuts are trying a coup in Ft. Wayne it seems, using decidedly sneaky and underhanded tactics. Religious people have a special obligation to avoid even the slightest appearance of illegality and impropriety.
Hmm. is this blog restricted to INDY now? I'd like to see Gary take on any politician statewide who is pulling this kind of ethical crap. Go for it!!
Anonymous, YLNI has never endorsed a political candidate.
Actually Wendy, YLNI did. I run a not-for-profit and attended a YLNI Hot Spot where leadership publicly said that YLNI members should vote for Nelson because he has the best interests of Fort Wayne (or maybe it was the YLNI's scewed view on the stadium that led to the "endorsementt". Regardless Wendy, take a look at your legal requirements as a 501(c)3. You cannot show any support to any political party or candidate in any way shape or form...hopefully YLNI didn't make the worst mistake of all and give him money.
Actually, anonymous, YLNI did not. I am the current president of YLNI and we have not endorsed any political candidate ever. I’d be happy to send you the minutes from our board meetings if you’d like to see for yourself. Perhaps you’re misunderstanding a conversation you had with an individual representing his/her own viewpoints, but our leadership doesn’t issue edicts during Hot Spots – those are unstructured events. YLNI has always been and remains a non-partisan organization.
I’m sure this will spark a whole new thread of misinformation, but YLNI also is not currently a 501(c)3 organization. We are incorporated as a non-profit, and we have a fiscal sponsor who has 501(c)3 status.
I'd be happy to discuss this more if you'd like to contact me directly.
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