Gail Riecken Statement on Mayor Winnecke’s handling of Schriber Scandal
Evansville, IN – I have been asked to make a statement regarding Mayor Winnecke’s handling of Mr. Schriber’s recent admission to sexual misconduct with a 15 year old male student. I first will comment on the Mayor’s handling of this situation, and then talk about how we move forward to protect children in the future. While the timing of the leak to the press brings out the worst in politics, it also brings to light my concerns that the Mayor has not been transparent or truthful with the people of Evansville.
The Mayor said he was notified of the investigation as early as July. If it were left to the Mayor, the acknowledged molestation involving Mr. Schriber and the student would have never surfaced and Mr. Schriber could have been a city councilman. The Mayor was informed of the allegations before this past Sunday and Mayor Winnecke did nothing. Only when the story broke in the media did Lloyd Winnecke choose to say anything.
More questions should be asked of the mayor. His calculated answers that tip toe around the issue should not be allowed to stand.
While the Mayor acknowledges that he was informed about the investigation, does the Mayor expect us to believe that he was not informed about Mr. Schriber’s admission?
Even Tim Ethridge in the Courier and Press (October 24) stated: “It’s difficult to fathom that police officials who are the mayor’s direct reports did not give him all the information, considering all the intertwined relationships.â€
During his 2011 campaign the mayor wrote in his position paper on Public Safety, the Police chief will report directly to the Mayor’s office, creating an open, unfiltered flow of information. This direct communication will include frequent briefings…
Winnecke said he remained silent to let the police do their job, but nothing was done in the investigation after August 7th and Mayor Winnecke remained silent. Mayor Winnecke remained silent until the Courier and Press broke the story after voting had already begun. Why didn’t the mayor publicly or privately ask Mr. Schriber to suspend his campaign when he learned of his misconduct?
The mayor owes us an explanation as to why he and his campaign continued to have a relationship with Schriber after the Mayor acknowledges he had been informed of the investigation.
After Schriber confessed to the sexual misconduct with a student, there was continued support and collaboration between him and the Mayor’s campaign until the Courier and Press broke this story on October 20th.
This is not a political issue. It’s about credibility. The mayor has displayed a lack of transparency throughout his term – from a closed-door homestead tax meeting, playing a shell game with our finances, withholding hotel details, and now withholding from the public knowledge about a city council election. This election needs to be about the truth.
I called this press conference to assure you as Mayor that I will be open, honest and transparent. Action must be taken in order to prevent future abuses. I have been a long time advocate of children and their right to a happy, healthy childhood. I recently received the “2015 Friend of Children†award from the Indiana Association of Resources and Child Advocacy and I serve on the Commission for the Improvement of the Status of Children. I spoke to Superintendent Glenda Ritz earlier today, to ensure training is available for the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. The training is called “Adults Protecting Children.†I will re-establish the Education Round Table to ensure that our children come before our politics. We have great schools and great teachers but the Mayors office always has responsibility to protect our children. As Mayor I will continue to advocate for the safety of our children.
Gail Riecken is running for Mayor of Evansville and is a former Evansville City Council-woman, Evansville Parks Director, and a current member of the Indiana State House of Representatives. She is a lifelong Evansville resident, has been married for 47 years, and has 2 children and 3 grandchildren.
Amen and Bravo!! The Mayor’s clumsy attempt at a cover up in order to allow his friend and mentor a seat on City Council is what politicized this matter. It was not done by the public who wants and deserves the truth.
+100
I am always astounded at the forward thinking of our OFI members in Evansville. I am delighted that you have maintained such active surveillance of the Republican Winnecke since his boyhood–the post in which you stated that he and the Republican Schriber went to the same church when he was young and provided other detailed information shows what a nose you have for class enemies. When I couple this with George Lumley, CPA’s, watchful tracking of Republican evil-doers from the far east side dumping their trash into the downtown wards, I must stand back in admiration. Keep up the careful surveillance, fellow liberal Democrats!
J. Coddington “Comrade Hugo” Fetlock IV
Maximum co-coordinator
Organizing for Idiocy
Evansville Cell
Winnecke,–What a Quality Guy,—-NOT!
As to Riecken’s statement about Winnecke and Schriber. In the words of dems in and out of the MSM defending Hillary Clinton on Benghazi, where four Americans died, one a U.S. Ambassador; it’s old (very old) news. Nothing new here.
As to Riecken’s promise of an open, honest, transparent administration, we’ve heard that before. In 2008. From Barack Hussein Obama.
Dude, this is a vote for the mayor of a little podunk Midwestern town. This has nothing to do with hillary. Please get help for your obsession.
Thank you for saying what should have been said a long time ago. Every day they come on here trying to take the blame off of winnecke by tying in some garbage that has nothing to do with this election. And then they claim winnecke is unfairly being drug into this. Lloyd covered this up. When will it sink in with those losers off of the Lloyd?
Dude, you missed the point; again.
Good men died, and Hillary lied, and you can take that to the bank!
It was an intelligence failure, just like the dozens killed at embassies under Bush. Relatively this is a non issue.
Press, well said. Sad but spot on.
Another ‘not my proudest moment as an officeholder’ moment?
He’s used to this stuff, with the Homestead Tax Credit and Haney and all, doesn’t bother him a bit. He’s still got plenty of time to surpass his current low.
So we all assume it was a cover up. There was an active investigation. So are we to talk openly about all that are accused before they are at least charged. This whole politics thing is a complete joke. All this name calling and accusations keep the real qualified people from running.
I agree
Who’s to say this isn’t the first and only incident where Winnecke has covered up, manipulated or manufactured his own renderings of a situation that is important to the people??? Can’t be trusted. So Vote for Gail!
When is Ms. Riecken’s press conference on fellow Democrat Weaver.
Jonathan is buddies with Winnecke who I’m sure has no idea.
Like everyone else, Gail knows that Weaver is a dirt bag, so why would she need to have a news conference about what is common knowledge?
What is going on with Weaver that she needs to do a press conference??
Whats up with Weaver? What is he up to now?
Does anyone know for which mayoral candidate Connie Robinson’s lemmings have been instructed to vote?
Connie is supporting Gail, just as she has been since Gail announced.
This isn’t really a cover up. Lying to council and the taxpayers for four years is. Once she becomes mayor, she will realize that there is about $2 million less in City funds than what has been reported. Now this is more of a cover up that proves that the current mayor is incompetent with the taxpayer’s money and misleads people.
The mayor should follow Mrs Riecken lead and leave the state. When the going gets tough just leave.
It looks like the Riecken campaign is now trying to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Who is is charge of this new campaign strategy , Faulkner, Jarvis, SBR?
None of the above. Jason Ascher from New York City.
This mayor is a politician. Just like the big boys and girls in Washington – Lie- cover up. I hope Donald Trump gets in. Could it be any worse – Nope. And yes I vote every time. I am sick and tired of most of their shenanigans.
Dirty democratic politics as usual, after all these years, why did the guy wait until right before the election to make the accusation?
That is a very personal question for the victim only to understand. He may have been fearful of Mr. Schriber getting into office and was not sure how Schriber would function for the city. There are lots of reasons for the facts to come to light now. We should be hopeful that the victim is successful in his healing process and that Mr Schriber is as well. There are many people hurt by this act many years ago: those who have had to live with this for so long, and those close to both the victim and to Mr. Schriber who were shocked and hurt by the revelation. I think you should not be playing this as a political gain for the victim. It can be nothing but personal pain for him.
I’m not sure it’s fair to blame Mayor Winnecke. I’m assuming this was a formal investigation and until he had the facts, it would be premature for him to make comment. If he seems hesitant to speak now, it’s likely because this is an uber sensitive subject. How does he comment and balance the need to be sensitive to the teen victim and firm on the contemptable behavior of a friend …and not seem homophobic …its a situation fraught with issues. I can see how he’d tread lightly. Let’s not denigrate the issue. In my opinion there are major issues facing Evansville. Can we talk about the cause. Effect. Remedy? Not a decades old issue.
Marie,
I can agree with some of what you are saying. However, the investigation was over in August so there was a lot of time to get a press release together. This can always be done sensitively to the victim and still have Schriber remove his hat from the ring before early voting started. And yes we do need to talk about issues in this election as in any. I think there will be much disagreement about what the issues actually are in Evansville though. I do know that the city council had a heck of a time getting timely information from the mayor about issues they were handling at the next meeting much less with any advanced time period ahead of the meeting to study them. I was hoping the recent debate would have brought some of these issues to light and that there would have been a detailed discussion of them. But the questions seemed too general and the format of the whole thing was not working well for handling any detailed discussions. Thanks for your comment though. It is nice to see an level headed comment that is not derogatory to someone or the other.
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