Indiana Recount Commission allows Secretary of State Charlie White to keep his job

Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White was cleared to keep his job — at least for now — by the Indiana Recount Commission. White, a Republican, had been accused of committing voter fraud.

The three-member panel, made up of one Democrat and two Republicans, voted unanimously to let White keep his job. State Democrats have been fighting to get White kicked out of his job after they found evidence that White had committed voter fraud in the 2010 election by voting in a district that he was not registered to vote in. The Secretary of State is Indiana’s chief elections officer.

“I’m very humbled by the 3-0 decision,” White said in a phone interview with Reuters. “I’m happy that they applied the facts to the case law and to the statutes.”

Indiana Democrats can still take the issue to court and White could still lose his job if he is convicted of any of the felony charges that he has been charged with in Hamilton County, including three counts of voter fraud.

“This is just the beginning for Charlie White. While Indiana’s election laws may be vague on the issue of residency, Indiana’s criminal laws are clear, and we have faith that the criminal court system will bring Charlie to justice for his malfeasance,” Indiana Democratic Party Chair Dan Parker, said in a statement after the decision was announced.

— Zach Ammerman