White AWOL From State House

It's not just the House Democrats who aren't showing up for work at their State House offices. WRTV's Norm Cox is reporting that embattled Secretary of State Charlie White has failed to show up at his State House office since he turned himself in to the Hamilton Co. Sheriff's office after a grand jury returned a 7-count indictment against him last week. White's spokesman, Jason Thomas, tells Cox he has no idea where his boss is.

Embattled Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White was again missing from his office Tuesday, marking the third-straight day White's whereabouts have been publicly unknown since he was indicted on seven felony counts last Thursday.


6News' Norman Cox has been trying to find White, but his spokesman, Jason Thomas, told Cox that he doesn't know where White is.

"I'm not too sure, Norman. I'm telling you the truth. I haven't seen him yet," Thomas said Tuesday morning. "I haven't talked to him today, so as soon as I find out, I'll let you know."
 
6News filed a public records request in hopes of finding White. Gov. Mitch Daniels told Cox on Tuesday that White's apparent absence bothers him, but there's nothing he can do about it . . .

White has not spoken publicly to reporters following his indictment last week, but he has indicated via electronic messages he intends to remain in office and fight the charges against him, despite the call by Gov. Mitch Daniels and other Republican leaders calling on him to step down. White is charged with committing vote fraud by misrepresenting his residence in Fishers in order to remain a member of the Town Council, as well as other charges of fraud, theft and perjury growing out of the initial investigation by a special prosecutor.

UPDATE: The Star's Robert Annis is reporting in an online story this afternoon that the special prosecutor has asked the Inspector General to investigate whether White improperly accessed a report after he took office in January that his predecessor, Todd Rokita, prepared while  investigating allegations leveled against him by Democrats that he had lied about his voting residence during last year's election. Rokita refused to release the 265-page report to the media, claiming it was exempt from public disclosure as an investigative record, even though he was not legally required to investigate the allegations against White.  The report was not provided to the Indiana Recount Commission when it ruled 2-1 against a Democratic challenge that White was not properly registered to vote and, therefore, not eligible to run for Secretary of State last year. The special prosecutor presented the findings of Rokita's report to the grand jury that heard evidence in White's criminal investigation before deciding to indict him. Annis' report notes the special prosecutor has so far declined to release the report, even though he can legally release it to the public. Personally, I could care less whether White accessed the report, but if he got to see it, then his office should have released it to the public in a show of transparency.