Charles P. White

Charles P. White
60th Secretary of State of Indiana
Incumbent
Assumed office January 6, 2011
Preceded by	Todd Rokita
Member of the Fishers Town Council
In office 2000–2010
Personal details
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Michelle White
Children	2 sons, 1 daughter
Residence	Hamilton County, Indiana
Alma mater	Wabash College (B.A.) Valparaiso University (J.D.)
Profession	Lawyer, Politician
Website	Official website

Charles P. "Charlie" White is the current Secretary of State of Indiana.^[1]

Education

White received a B.A. from Wabash College and a J.D. from Valparaiso University.

Secretary of State

White, a member of the town council of Fishers, an Indianapolis suburb, and a former chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party, ran against Democratic architect Vop Osili in an election to succeed Republican incumbent Todd Rokita, who was term limited.

An issue in the campaign was whether White continued to serve on the Fishers council even after moving out of Fishers, and illegally voted in his old precinct in the May Republican primary. In February 2009, White moved to a condo in another part of Hamilton County. However, he claimed his former home, in which his ex-wife still lives, as his official residence. White subsequently admitted to voting in the wrong precinct, but blamed a hectic schedule for his failure to change his address.^[2] Nonetheless, White won in a landslide amid the massive Republican wave that swept through Indiana.

The state Democratic Party filed suit a month after the election, claiming that White was not eligible to run. The Democrats claimed that a state law requiring Secretary of State candidates to be registered voters means they must be registered legally. The state Recount Commission dismissed the Democrats' claim on a party-line vote, and White and was sworn in on January 6, 2011.^[3]

The office will be up for election again in 2014.

Indictment

In March 2011, White was indicted on seven felony counts including voter fraud, perjury and theft. He is charged with intentionally voting in the wrong precinct in the primary, continuing to serve on the Fishers council and drawing his salary after moving out of town, and lying about his address on a home loan.^{[4] [5]} He was released from a Hamilton County jail after posting a $10,000 bond.^[2][6] White is set to go on trial on January 30, 2012.

Shortly after the news broke, Governor Mitch Daniels and Indiana's other statewide elected officials urged White to step aside while the charges are pending. White would automatically be forced out of office if convicted on any of the charges; Indiana, like most states, does not allow convicted felons to hold office.^[6]

On April 7, 2011, Marion County Circuit Court judge Louis Rosenberg ordered the Recount Commission to reconsider the Democrats' legal challenge to White's place on the ballot. Rosenberg could have issued a ruling on his own authority, but chose not to do so. If the challenge succeeds, Osili would become Secretary of State by default. By comparison, if White were forced out of office as a result of his felony case, Daniels would be able to appoint his successor^[3] The ruling specifically required the Recount Commission to make a finding on the legality of White's registration. Rosenberg retains control of the case and could issue a ruling himself if he isn't satisfied with the Recount Commission's work.^[7] Subsequently, White recused himself from the case; the Secretary of State is chairman of the Recount Commission.^[8] White was cleared by the Recount Commission in a bi-partisan 3-0 vote, saying that he intended to use his wife's home as his permanent address. However, the state party asked Rosenberg to review the decision, arguing that it put too much weight on White's testimony and ignored documents listing his new address. Rosenberg will hear the case on November 23.^[9]

Earlier, WISH-TV political reporter Jim Shella wrote in his blog that the Democrats' challenge to White's ballot status could have implications beyond the Secretary of State race. According to Shella, if the Democrats were to prevail, the Republicans would have legally received no votes in the Secretary of State's race. This would drop them below the 10 percent threshold required to retain major-party status in the state (major party status is determined by Secretary of State results).^[10] After Rosenberg remanded the eligibility challenge back to the Recount Commission, Shella wrote that from White's perspective, he would be better off settling the criminal case before the fate of his office is decided. He could potentially get the felony counts reduced to misdemeanors in a plea deal, which would allow him to keep his law license even if he had to leave office. However, Shella wrote, if he is forced out of office, he would have no bargaining chip in any plea negotiations.^[7]

Personal

White lives in Hamilton County with his wife Michelle and three children.

References

1. ^ "Indiana Secretary of State Charles P. White". Official website of the Indiana Secretary of State. http://www.in.gov/sos/2363.htm. Retrieved 2011-01-05. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Annis, Robert (March 3, 2011). "Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White indicted, faces 7 felony counts". The Indianapolis Star. http://www.indystar.com/article/20110303/NEWS/110303019/Secretary-of-State-Charlie-White-indicted. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ ^{a b} Ritchie, Carrie (April 7, 2011). "Challenge to Charlie White's election is ruled valid". The Indianapolis Star. http://www.indystar.com/article/20110408/NEWS05/104080341. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ "State of Indiana vs. Charles White". State of Indiana Criminal and Citation Case Records. https://mycase.in.gov/CaseDetail.aspx?CaseID=7515236. 
5. ^ "In re Complaint of Voter Fraud and Expansion of Authority of Special Prosecutor". March 3, 2011. http://www.indystar.com/assets/pdf/BG17131534.PDF  (text of indictment).
6. ^ ^{a b} Main, Dalton (March 3, 2011). "Daniels Encourages White to Step Down Until Charges Are Resolved". WFPL. http://www.wfpl.org/2011/03/03/daniels-encourages-white-to-step-down-until-charges-are-resolved/. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Shella, Jim. Charlie White's Dilemma. WISH-TV, 2011-04-08.
8. ^ "White recuses self from recount". Post-Tribune. May 14, 2011. http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/4804011-418/white-recuses-self-from-recount.html. Retrieved 2011-5-24. 
9. ^ http://www.indystar.com/article/20111011/NEWS05/110110335/Complaint-White-heard-Nov-23 Complaint on White to be heard on Nov. 23]. Indianapolis Star, 2011-10-11.
10. ^ Shella, Jim. Charlie White could damage GOP more than you think. WISH-TV, 2011-03-11.

External links

• Official government website
• Charlie White for Secretary of State official campaign website
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart

Persondata
Name	White, Charles P.
Alternative names
Short description	Indiana politician
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death