Indianapolis' African-American community should be angered at Mayor Joe Hogsett right now, who ignored all of the big-time corruption scandals in the Ballard administration, including those committed by Ballard himself, and chose to prosecute a single, minuscule corruption scam involving two black members of his administration. That was the Indy Land Bank scandal prosecuted by our former federal prosecutor, which conveniently failed to bring charges against the real players directing corruption throughout Ballard's two terms as Indianapolis mayor.
A federal judge handed down a 9-year sentence to Reggie Walton for his role in the Indy Land Bank scandal during which a few thousand dollars in bribes exchanged hands. Walton's co-defendant, David Johnson, was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison in December. Contrast that to the mere 40-month sentence that former City-County Councilor Lincoln Plowman, a high-ranking IMPD officer, received for soliciting a bribe from an undercover FBI agent. Hogsett didn't even bother to prosecute Plowman for the actual bribes he accepted, let alone look into why he was accompanying a prominent Indianapolis businessman on frequent trips to Costa Rica on his private jet.
As only this blog has pointed out, Hogsett used the U.S. Attorney's Office to leverage his way into the mayor's office. Ballard and key members of his administration engaged in crimes involving tens of millions of your tax dollars, which were swept under the rug by Hogsett in exchange for Ballard's agreement not to seek re-election. The Marion Co. GOP essentially agreed to throw the mayor's race by picking a recent Chicago transplant who had never sought office before or participated in any civic activities, let alone attend a single council meeting, before Republicans slated him as their candidate for mayor while discouraging other more qualified candidates from seeking the office.
"The citizens of Indianapolis deserve better from their public officials," U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler said in a statement. "Betraying the public’s trust and wasting tax dollars is a crime we take very seriously. Those who choose to ignore federal law will be held accountable, just as this sentence holds Mr. Walton accountable." Cut the BS, Minkler. You and your predecessor, Mr. Hogsett tell whistle blowers reporting big-time public corruption to f_ _ _ off. Don't take down two low-level black employees who were peanuts in a massive public corruption scam and tell us you care about people betraying the public's trust and wasting our tax dollars.
6 comments:
At least twice, you refer to the convicted as "black". I don't get the point of this repeated reference. Why does it matter?
It's relevant when more culpable, non-black players are being given a free pass by federal prosecutors. If they were truly investigating the housing fraud scams involving federal grant money, there would have been some big players nabbed in that scam, not these low-level, insignificant players. They're wasting their time nabbing shoplifters while the warehouse is being robbed by the truck load.
Because it's Obama's fault.
Indianapolis Dems like Hogsh** always throw blacks under the bus, but they always stay on the plantation like loyal slaves.
Preach, Gary! You have said what needed to be said succinctly without any fluff that might allow for excuses in the lack of inaction by those who have the power to bring charges against white and white collared officials- both elected and appointed. There are many who are culpable in spiriting hard earned tax dollars from where they are most needed- the pressing public safety and infrastructure challenges facing our city.
I was thinking the newly resigned Tindley Charter Schools CEO should be indicted next. Wasting thousands of dollars now public dollars on extravagant trips to NYC. He should be required to pay all of it back with interest. That money should have gone to hiring teachers or feeding children at those schools
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