John says Councillor under investigation has conflict of interest
July 24, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS—Marion County Republican Central Committee Chairman Tom John today called for City-County Councilor Paul Bateman (D-District 11) to recuse himself from the Council's Investigative Committee on Ethics.
"Elected Officials who serve on Committees reviewing the actions of their peers must be free from ethical investigations themselves," said John. "Since it has now become clear that Councilor Bateman is under such an investigation, it is improper for him to continue serving on the Investigative Committee on Ethics."
Several news organizations have reported within the last week that Councilor Bateman is under investigation for his involvement in a charity that allegedly misappropriated millions of dollars in funds.
The Investigative Committee on Ethics was established in October of 2007 by Proposal 182, with the specific purpose of investigating then-Council President Monroe Gray (D-District 8) for a variety of ethical lapses, including ghost employment from the Indianapolis Fire Department, receiving questionable city contracts for his private business, and allegedly claiming improper tax credits. The committee is expected to meet this evening and discuss a possible report on those charges.
"I have grave concerns that Councilor Bateman's judgment will be clouded by the situation in which he is involved," John said. "No elected official should be in a position to pass judgment on a peer when it is possible that same elected official will be in a similar situation in the very near future."
Bateman is the latest in a series of Democrat City-County Councilors' under investigation for unethical behavior. Besides Gray, Councilors Doris Minton-McNeill was arrested in June for allegedly assaulting an IMPD officer while intoxicated.
"It is unfortunate the Democrat Caucus refuses to handle its own problems," said John. "Republicans last year fought tooth and nail to investigate Councilor Monroe Gray and were obstructed by majority Democrats. It is a shame that Democrats always seem to refuse to do the honorable thing unless pressure is put on them by the public and the media."