(Indianapolis, Ind.) – Indiana may soon have a new Secretary of State after Republican Charlie White is ordered removed from the office.
The state’s top election official was indicted for Voter Fraud in March.
White allegedly lied about his home address on his voter registration in order to keep his seat on the Fishers Town Council in 2010. He was going through a divorce at the time he registered to vote.
Last Thursday, Marion Circuit Court Judge Louis Rosenberg ordered the Indiana Recount Commission to certify Democrat Vop Osili as secretary of state.
The judge’s order reverses an unanimous ruling by the recount commission in June that White was eligible for the office.
“More than a year later, justice has finally been served. We applaud this ruling and congratulate Vop Osili as the rightful winner of the 2010 election. This is the second judge in recent weeks to deny Charlie White's attempts to dodge legal responsibility for his actions,” said Indiana Democrat Party Chairman Dan Parker in a statement.
On Friday, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller stepped into the struggle for the office. Zoeller said he will act on the recount commission’s behalf to appeal White’s removal.
"My office ultimately represents the State and the public interest, and as the State's chief legal officer it is not necessary to wait to appeal until the Recount Commission can meet and vote on seeking an appeal. The Attorney General's Office already has the independent authority to assert the legal interest of the State and bring some clarity and certainty out of the confusion," Zoeller said.
White has hired his own legal representation to also appeal the Marion County judge’s ruling. An attorney general’s office spokesperson said Thursday that White has no plans to step aside.
Parker said Vop Osili should be sworn in quickly “so that we can restore openness and transparency to an office that’s been clouded by Charlie White’s antics for more than a year.”
White defeated Osili in the November 2010 statewide election for Secretary of State by about 340,000 votes. Indiana law states the recipient of the second highest amount of votes should replace an office holder declared ineligible.
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