Indiana News

Officials Challenge Candidacy of Convicted Felon

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ind. (WOWO): Bartholomew County Democratic Party officials are exploring legal action involving a race in Elizabethtown.

Party Chair Priscilla Scalf takes issue with the election for Elizabethtown Town Council where Republican Paul Humes, who has at least two felony convictions, is listed on the ballot.

Humes will be elected, but due to Indiana law, will not be able to serve. He has at least two alcohol-related felony convictions from the 1990s.

“I was shocked and disappointed to read in the newspaper that County Treasurer and Republican chairperson Barb Hackman and County Clerk Tami Hines have known about this since before the primary, yet refused to act,” said Scalf.

“For seven long months they have covered up Mr. Humes‘ intended election fraud in order to retain partisan control of the office.”“These public officials are abusing their positions of responsibility,”

Scalf continued, “I intend to find out legally whether they can be held liable for knowingly allowing this election crime to occur. Liability or not, they certainly have an ethical obligation to the law, the democratic process, and to the voting public, and they ignored that obligation.”

Since Humes remains on the ballot, Republicans leaders will be allowed to appoint a replacement. Scalf says that had he been removed, the remaining council members, two Democrats, would be able to fill the vacancy.

In an interview last week, Bartholomew County Republic Chair Barb Hackman said that she was aware of Humes‘ legal status. She says both she, and other party members, urged Humes to take his name off of the ballot.

Hackman says that she could not legally remove his name without an official complaint from an Elizabethtown resident.

She says that complaint never materialized. Humes claimed that his convictions were misdemeanors and that he intends to serve. A look at public records for Humes verifies his convictions were felonies.

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