Supremes Hath Spoken: White Legal

Charlie White

The Indiana Supreme Court ruled against the Indiana Democratic Party and overturned Judge Lou Rosenberg's decision that Charlie White was not a legal candidate when he ran for Indiana Secretary of State.  This means that Vop Osili will still be City-County Councillor Osili and not Secretary of State Osili.

The Supremes said that the IDP waited until after the election was over to file the complaint instead of filing it beforehand.  It also said that voters were likely aware of the concerns, but they voted for White anyway.

Governor Mitch Daniels will now appoint a permanent replacement for White.  Jerold Bonnett has quietly served in the office as interim Secretary of State since White was removed from office last month.

City-County Councillor
Vop Osili

Attorney Karen Celestino-Horseman, who, in the interest of full disclosure, is one of my good friends, told the Indianapolis Star that the Democrats could not have filed the case any earlier because they didn't find out about the situation until after the deadline had passed to file the case.  She also said that the responsibility for vetting candidates should not be the opposing party's job.

In a late afternoon release, Osili thanked his supporters and said he was continuing to focus on his current job, "Although I won't be Secretary of State, I am honored to fulfill my desire for public service as a City-County Councillor in Indianapolis, and I am excited to continue in that capacity."