Wednesday, February 25, 2015

House Speaker Reveals For First Time He's On Ersal Ozdemir's Payroll As Well


UPDATED: SPEAKER DIDN'T VOTE ON GAMING EXPANSION BILL-WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Well just how many state lawmakers are on Ersal Ozdemir's payroll? Advance Indiana exclusively reported to you that State Rep. Greg Steuerwald (R-Avon) has been on Ersal Ozdemir's payroll as his attorney of record in contentious litigation Ozdemir is engaged with a former business partner, Jason Ellis, who alleges Ozdemir defrauded him out of his 20% interest in his construction and real estate development business. Despite that conflict of interest, Rep. Steuerwald supported and voted for legislation authorizing the public financing of a new stadium for Ozdemir's Indy Eleven minor league soccer stadium when it came for a vote before the House last year. Steuerwald reversed course and abstained when the legislation came before the House this year following Advance Indiana's report of his conflict of interest. Even more disturbing is a very cavalier disclosure today by House Speaker Brian Bosma that he too has performed legal work for Ozdemir, prompting him to join Steuerwald in abstaining from a vote on the passage of HB 1273.

The troubling disclosure of Bosma's conflict of interest is tucked away in an online story on the Indianapolis Star's website concerning the passage of HB 1273 on a 73-21 vote this afternoon. "House speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, did not vote on the bill Wednesday, the Star's Mark Alesia and Tony Cook report. "He disclosed after the vote that he had done legal work for the Indy Eleven and has remained neutral." "That work involved trademarks and contract negotiations." "I don't have an (ownership) interest in it," Bosma said. "Honestly, I'm just trying to set the example for others and felt it was appropriate for me to file a letter (with the House ethics committee) and be excused."

He's remained neutral? Hah. This man controls the calendar and all bills heard in committee and called up for vote on the floor. His unilateral action can block a bill from being heard at any point along the way. By not disclosing at the beginning of the legislative session his conflict of interest, he has opened himself up to a heap of criticism that he has helped engineer passage of this bill for his client. This is even more troubling if the legal work he performed for Ozdemir occurred prior to consideration of last year's legislation. More interesting is the fact that Bosma's practice area at his law firm does not traditionally include trademark work. According to the firm's website, Bosma describes his practice area as follows:
With an extensive background in engineering, business, law and government, Mr. Bosma’s practice is concentrated in the areas of complex business and municipal transactions, municipal finance and environmental matters. He chairs the Government Practice Group of Kroger Gardis & Regas, and serves as general or special counsel to dozens of municipalities and business entities throughout the State of Indiana. 
An engineering graduate of Purdue University, Mr. Bosma represents both public and private sector clients in real estate and construction projects, public sector joint ventures and Brownfield redevelopment. He has served as lead counsel for more than fifty public and economic development projects ranging from small facilities to major public private utility projects. He is nationally recognized bond counsel and an active member of the Indiana Municipal Lawyers Association and the National Association of Bond Lawyers.
His government-related work alone raises all sorts of red flags since he has rarely disclosed a conflict of interest in participating on any matters before the General Assembly. Unlike Steuerwald, Bosma did not actually abstain from the vote; rather, he simply didn't vote on HB 1273. Steuerwald actually stood and requested permission to abstain from voting ahead of the vote, whereupon he was instructed to state the reason in writing for his abstention. Is there any wonder why those of us on the outside looking in see nothing but a public auction taking place over at the State House where financial benefits to lawmakers are regularly traded for favorable consideration of legislation before the General Assembly?

Last month, federal prosecutors in New York indicted the Empire State's long-time Assembly Speaker, Sheldon Silver, on multiple public corruption charges accusing him of accepting legal referral fees from clients with matters pending before the state legislature in exchange for favorable legislative consideration. Silver was accused of failing to disclose the sources of his income on state ethics statements. Indiana's weak ethics laws do not require lawmaker attorneys to disclose clients with matters pending before the legislature. In fact, both Bosma's and Steuerwald's financial disclosure statements claim attorney-client privilege and the rules of professional conduct governing attorney conduct prohibits them from making such disclosures.

UPDATE: A vote yesterday was also taken on HB 1540, the big gaming bill all of the high-powered gaming lobbyists have been working the hallways hard this session to pass. It allows riverboat casinos to become land-based casinos, and it allows live dealers at the state's two racinos at the horse race tracks in Anderson and Shelbyville, effectively turning them from the "slots at the tracks" to full-blown casinos. The recorded roll call vote shows that only one lawmaker present did not participate in the vote. That lawmaker was Mr. Speaker. Does that mean Speaker Bosma is also doing legal work for the powerful gaming interests? The public has the right to know. I understand the Speaker often doesn't vote in Indiana, which I've always found a bit odd, but if the Speaker doesn't explain his non-participation, how would the public know whether he was not voting because he's the presiding officer or because of a conflict of interest. When are the useless State House reporters going to actually start doing their jobs and reporting on the rampant corruption taking place under their noses?

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is is just me or does this entire stadium vote really smell as bad as it looks. In the old days legislators would keep a low profile when cutting deals under the Copper Dome but today they are all absulutely unashamed. Hell, they apparently feel that graft and corruption are what their voters expect.
I would have figured Bosma to be a little more discrete but I digress.

Anonymous said...

Brian Bosma's hubris knows not one boundary. It sure appears that there isn't one local and state Democrat politico or Republican politico that Ersal Ozdemir hasn't been able to buy off except for Indianapolis City Councilor Christine Scales (R) and Republican Candidate for Mayor Jocelyn-Tandy Adande.

Bosma is more powerful in this State than the governor and Bosma knows it. This is one reason Pence is so ineffective- he will not get anything unless the establishment RINO crony Indiana Republicans want it. Another reason Pence is so ineffective is that he is in over his head and has no idea how to manage a State other than warm the Guv's chair until the next POTUS campaign cycle.

Bosma allowed Eric Turner to use the State Legislature as a family money-making machine for far too long before the howls of disgust penetrated the bald Speaker's ear drums.

Bald and meaty-jowls Bosma is a tool and he needs to go. The way he "disclosed" his relationship with the Turkish guy was very much less than honorable and in a way I have to believe was an attempt to hide the association while still claiming the disclosure.



Anonymous said...

And is it not Hogsett who should be investigating this?

Eric Morris said...

"Tell me how this ends." Does it continue for a thousand years, bankruptcy in five years, or should I try to get on the sleezy crony train myself? Mr. Bosma and Man on the Magic Turkish Carpet, how do I get cut into these deals? Should I tell my children this is acceptable? Does the Indiana CONstitution have a provision that allows this looting for the benefit of the dirty dozens?

Gary R. Welsh said...

Hogsett is no longer the federal prosecutor, but when he was there he dumped all of the big public corruption files in the waste basket just like his predecessors. He was rewarded with a no work, no show job at one of the City's biggest law firms so he could pretend to campaign for mayor even though the corrupt power brokers already met behind doors and agreed to hand him the office after Ballard leaves in exchange for services rendered.

Anonymous said...

Bosma needs to be run out of town. He's being paid to carry this legislation basically. Who knows what hes said or who hes persuaded behind closed doors. We just gave this ozdemir a parking garage, and now we letting him use the taxes from his hotel to pay for his stadium. How is this even legal!?

Anonymous said...

The Indiana statehouse is steeped in corruption.

Aaron said...

Ozdemir influencing youth soccer?

Since signing our kids up for youth soccer last week in Vigo County we have received two emails from VCYSA (Vigo Co. Youth Soccer Association) encouraging parents to email their legislators in support of HB 1273. I have copied one of the emails below.

Looks like Ozdemir and his band of merry men/women will stop at nothing to get what they want as they are blindly asking youth organizations to support something without explaining to the organizations' participants what the consequences of getting a stadium would really mean to Indiana.

I was surprised to see the email and more surprised to see that the YCYSA would blindly encourage parents, without providing any of the gory details of HB 1273 are and simply pass this on as "a positive impact for the development of soccer across our state".

I guess if you consider raising property taxes or extorting our state legislators as "a positive impact for soccer across our state" as a good thing well then by all means...

Aaron Heisler

(email from VCYSA)


Dear VCYSA Parents & Famiies,

RE: HB 1273 (Stadium for Indiana)

Please join me in supporting the Stadium for Indiana project ("Indy 11 Bill") by sending a quick email to our State Representatives and Senator. As an organization representing more than 1200 families across the Wabash Valley, we can have a positive impact on project such as HB 1273 that is good for our youth and a positive impact for the development of soccer across Indiana.

Below are the contacts for Representatives Heaton, Morrison and Senator Ford:

Heaton h46@iga.in.gov
Morrison h42@iga.in.gov
Ford s38@iga.in.gov

If you have not seen the rendition video of the proposed stadium, you can view it at Stadium for Indiana

Regards,

Jim Wilkey
President, VCYSA
jimlwilkey@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I will be coming after the People's Agenda of 2007 with comments and evidence of such...liar, thieve and more. Impeach. This State needs a swat team big enough to bring them all in with prior knowledge and in destroying others lives while they lied, played, represented and pretended...Know why they sleep at night...Because they have no conscience and consciousness... Get them Gary..Told you.

Anonymous said...

It's coming...so many panicking now...love it. Take them down and give me my dying wish...the corruption and influence will end and this city will return to good and great and a balanced folk for the future...Media needs to bail out.. Feds all over this ...DOJ too. Bailing out a little too late some of them speaks volumes in paranoia and lack of accountability and transparency over the years. You are being watched..all of you

Anonymous said...

Love the latest post...Just saying..Prior knowledge...A pic speaks 9/11 words of the puzzle and involvement and corruption..thanks Gary for risking your life and reputation in publishing matters...Been there done that. Know why you don't drive...Walk but look over your back...

Gary R. Welsh said...

I drive, anon. 10:35; I just don't drive to work since it would be silly to drive the five-block distance.

Anonymous said...

Should have disclosed the driving distance on our meet and greet...Sounded like you didn't trust anyone...LA/ BMW/GPS discussion and explosion discussion and car crash discussions and more on meet and greet...

Gary R. Welsh said...

Don't confuse me with Ozdemir. He's the one living in a gated, armed fortress accompanied by bodyguards. Who's he afraid of?

Anonymous said...

Mitch , Ballard, Turks, Syria, 9/11 flights, and more...Who's protecting him and fighting Homeland Bills and funding..Saw this coming too..Flight 93 came out of Indy..7 buildings went down..Not two..

Anonymous said...

From a new reader in Ft Wayne: Thank you for your discussion of these issues.

Anonymous said...

If they are asking youth leagues to lobby legislators, they are in danger of losing their 501(c)(3) status for being involved in political activity. Corruption knows no bounds here.

Anonymous said...

While I don't like how you keep mentioning the fact that he's a Turkish Immigrant, I do appreciate that you're the only one that is keeping tabs on this developer that I know one day will be behind bars. Looking at his picture, knowing how much money he has plundered from taxpayers, makes me ill.

Anonymous said...

Bosma, Mitch, Tifs, Counsel, Council, R's and some D's, Pence and more all know money is flowing in from this guys' connections and supporting the crimes of developments. Turner too...There are so many aligned with this corruption it could take an hour for Gary to list all the names and connections. or maybe longer....