Mitch’s Man Dave
From the Indianapolis Star, August 2:
State Inspector General David Thomas says a complaint by Democrats that Gov. Mitch Daniels violated ethics rules by taking RV1 to a political fundraiser is hogwash.
The Democrats call that a whitewash.
Here’s the take from the Evansville Courier & Press:
Thomas interviewed Daniels’ security escort, a team of Indiana State Police officers, who said no one except the governor’s staff entered the RV. Eric Holcomb, an employee of the governor’s office who attended the fundraiser, said the RV was parked 100 yards from the fish fry. Holcomb didn’t see anyone enter the RV, but if someone did, “it probably would have been a spontaneous and unplanned occurrence as has happened in the past,” Thomas wrote.
[…]
Thomas did not mention the family by name but said his office contacted a family “revealed in the article” who said Whitson’s report was false. “With our focus on whether the RV was used to obtain political donations in alleged violation of an ethics rule, the evidence did not even show that members of the public entered the RV for any purpose,” Thomas wrote.
So it wasn’t used for political purposes, according to My Man Mitch’s man. Anyone who says otherwise is lying, or worse, a Democrat. And even if it was used for political purposes, it’s just a vehicle.
The Courier & Press also ran this AP piece, also August 2:
J. Bruce Baumann, executive editor of the Courier & Press, said the newspaper stands behind its reporter.
“She personally observed ordinary citizens entering and leaving RV1, and therefore, we stand behind her story,” he said.
Parker, the state Democratic chairman, said he was disappointed but not surprised about the report.
“Mitch Daniels said this (RV) is an extension of his office, so I guess we can have fundraisers from the state office,” he said.
As it happens, taking down words has the best post on this issue.