GOP leaders are asking a Vanderburgh Co. township assessor, John Gerard, off the ballot. He was arrested in an Indianapolis bathroom last month for allegedly masturbating and inviting an undercover police officer to his hotel room. Eric Bradner of the Evansville Courier-Press writes:Center Township Assessor John Gerard, 52, was arrested last month in Indianapolis for allegedly masturbating in a public rest room and inviting an undercover police officer to his hotel room.
"The fellow was up here doing a Pee Wee Herman," Indiana Republican Party communications director Robert Vane said of Gerard. "We absolutely believe he should withdraw his candidacy."
Vanderburgh County Republican Chairwoman Connie Carrier said she asked Gerard to withdraw from the ballot a few days ago because of public perception of his alleged actions. "We just don't condone it," Carrier said.
Vane said the state GOP has made no formal request that Gerard withdraw his name from the ballot because state leaders want to avoid the perception they are stepping on Vanderburgh County Republicans' toes.
"But we've made our wishes clear to all parties involved," Vane said.
Gerard did not return repeated phone calls to his office and home.
No Democrat will oppose Gerard or any potential replacement candidate on the ticket. Noon today is the deadline to add candidates to the ballot to fill slots that went vacant in the primary elections. But to be eligible for the Democratic caucuses that nominate candidates to fill those slots, the person's candidacy would have to be declared 72 hours beforehand, and no one did that, County Clerk Susan Kirk said.
But voters will have an alternative. An independent candidate, Mike Stucki, who could not be reached for comment, will be on the ballot.
What is astounding is that Democrats chose not to run anyone against Gerard, even after his arrest became public last month. There is little incentive for Gerard to drop his re-election bid with only an independent candidate filing to run against him.
4 comments:
Maybe I'm just reading about the same incidents over and over, but it sure seems like Indiana's police spend a lot of time in our public restrooms getting involved in situations that lead to sex acts or propositions for sex acts.
It reminds me of the joke about the hunter who goes to shoot at a bear and misses. The bear says, "bend over or I'll eat you." To save his life, the hunter bends over and the bear rapes him.
Looking for revenge, the guy goes back with the same result.
Once again, the guy goes back, this time with a bigger gun, but he's still a bad shot and he misses. The bear looks at him and says, "Umm, you don't come here for the hunting do you?"
Thanks Gary.
All I can think of from your headline is: "I know you are, but what am I?"
hu-ha-ha (it is really, really hard to think of a way to type out Pee Wee's laugh!!)
If I recall Doug, the undercover cop went into the bathroom after a customer complained about what Gerard was doing in the bathroom. There were a lot of busts in this same bathroom a few years ago, which snagged a school principal and former member of the state board of education.
Funny observation Paula. I was suprised Robert Vane brought up Pee Wee Herman. At least Herman was in an adult movie theater at the time of his arrest.
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