for voter fraud. Yup, voter fraud.
From the Indy Star:
Charlie White is ineligible to serve as Secretary of State and should be replaced by Democrat Vop Osili, the second-highest vote-getter in the November 2010 election, a Marion County judge ruled today.
Judge Louis Rosenberg threw out a decision by the Indiana Recount Commission to deny Osili's petition contesting White's election.
White is facing seven felony charges, including allegations of voter fraud.
His criminal trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 30. Felons are ineligible to serve as Secretary of State.
“The fact that Mr. White knowingly registered in the wrong precinct is sufficient to render him ineligible for the office of Secretary of State,” Rosenberg wrote in the ruling.
In other news this week, his Motion to Dismiss the felony voter fraud charges against him was denied.
White was indicted after using his ex-wife's address while living with his girlfriend. He is said to have done it because the girlfriend did not live in his city council district.
More to come, hopefully to include the swearing in of our new DEMOCRATIC Secretary of State, Vop Osili.
Vop was recently elected to the Indianapolis City Council and was expected to take office in January. It is not clear yet (at least to me) what will happen with the two offices now, though I expect to see a stay at the trial court level while this ruling works its way through the appeal process. It will also be interesting to see if the pressure increases for White to step down and if Mitch Daniels will try to appoint his own replacement before Vop can get sworn.
Interesting, eh?
Well, at least the Republicans can finally point to at least one case of voter fraud.
2:28 PM PT: UPDATE - rumors here are swirling that Vop has been sworn in. Nothing official yet.