Since Advance Indiana disclosed that Patrice Abduallah didn't live in his 15th City-County District he's been representing for the past 4 years, and for the same office which he unlawfully filed as a candidate for re-election this year, there has been discussion about whether votes he cast this past year on the City-County Council, including the controversial $90 million, 65% increase in the county option income tax, are void, thereby invalidating any ordinance approved by a single vote with his support. Abduallah, of course, was forced to resign his seat and a special caucus of the Democratic committeepersons in District 15 met last night to select his replacement. You have no doubt heard by now that Andre Carson, Congresswoman Julia Carson's grandson, was chosen to take his place. You probably haven't heard what I'm about to tell you, which will only cause you further outrage.
A well-placed source informed Advance Indiana today that Abduallah was not only present at last night's caucus meeting, he cast a vote as a Democratic precinct committeeperson supposedly residing at the Sheffield Avenue address he claims as his registered voting address. We now know that he hasn't lived at that address since at least last January because he told us he's been living at a home owned by his mother on Warman Avenue outside District 15. Doesn't it seem a little odd that the man who precipitated last night's caucus because he abandoned his residency in the district would be allowed to cast a vote to select his own replacement?
This source also tells Advance Indiana that last night's vote only secured Carson's appointment to replace Abduallah on the ballot through the end of his term. Yet another caucus meeting will need to be held, according to this source, if Democrats are going to attempt to place Carson's name on the November ballot. Some election law experts believe the deadline for Democrats to place another person's name on the ballot has passed under law because Abduallah never legally qualified to have his name placed on the ballot. By his own admission he had already vacated his residency in the district when he filed his statement of candidacy with the Clerk's office.
8 comments:
There is only, I believe, a 30-day or 60-day residency requirement for elected committeepersons. Many in the party do not reside in their precinct, and I believe party rules allow that. In fact, I have served as a committeeeperson for election day duty in the past, by this very device.
Nonetheless, Patrice is a complete and total goof. That was never really in doubt. And Andre won by a healthy margin. So Patrice's vote didn't really maatter. It'd have been interesting to see for whom Patrice voted...I'm told by reliable sources that Patrice is mightily POed at the Carson folks for shoving him under the bus, or not coming to his defense.
By that time they already smelled blood in the water, and an opportunity for dear young Andre.
I think you're right about the residency for a committeeperson, anon 7:04. In fact, I was shocked to learn that when I moved here from Illinois after someone offered to appoint me to a precinct outside my own. I said, no thanks. Something seems inherently wrong in this case, though, with allowing him to vote for his replacement. What I would like to know is why so many of the committee persons (1/3) skipped the vote.
As I recall, you can be APPOINTED a PC to any precinct, but you can only be ELECTED to the precinct in which you reside.
Its preferred you at least reside within the same township that you serve as a PC.
Preferred, but not a rule.
Also, the ballot replacement can be chosen EITHER by caucus OR by the County Chairman, Mike O'Connor.
Either party can appoint anyone to a committeeperson role, based on their own party rules. Residency is not an issue.
Electing a person to a committeeperson role, requires residency, tho.
Yeah, it sux.
Dems used to have a gender qualifier: if a male were committeeman, a female had to be vice committeeperson.
They abandoned that about five years ago.
Interesting conversation, but it doens't change the facts:
Patrice has no shame. His vote was not needed, and he showed up anyway.
Pitiful. How out of touch can you be? Did he not realize the Carson machine had failed to bail him out, and half the committeepersons there laughed at him?
He's dillusional. Thankfully, he's also history. So much for that new stadium hotel catering kitchen job he nearly demanded. As in "hire me and my wife or you're racist."
On this council, you can only get a job for yourself or your spouse if you pound on the table and you're Majority Leader. Qualifications don't matter.
"Dems used to have a gender qualifier: if a male were committeeman, a female had to be vice committeeperson."
I think the Dems have a similar problem as the GOP - not enough interested people to fill all the PC positions, much less vice-PC. One effect of cutting down the number of precincts is less number of PC's needed.
Gary - I wonder how many of those PC's that didn't make the District 15 Caucus were vacant PC slots?
Any word yet on whether someone will challenge those previous votes on the council? Other than the brief mention here, that issue seems to have faded away quickly. I hope not.
10:24, it's a non-issue. The city's brilliant chief legal counsel Mr. Wright said so.
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