Todd Rokita and a second chance to make things right
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People don’t always have a second chance to do the right thing Neither do professions nor public institutions.
Such a second opportunity, though, may present itself with the ongoing trainwreck that is the office of the Indiana attorney general.
Marilyn Odendahl of The Indiana Citizen reported that the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission is investigating Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita for various transgressions. (Disclosure: The Indiana Citizen and TheStatehouseFile.com have a partnership.)
Odendahl’s scoop—which was revealed by the Washington, D.C. law firm Rokita has hired, using taxpayer funds, to defend him—establishes that Indiana’s attorney general nightmares aren’t over.
Rokita is the second attorney general in a row to be the focus of a serious disciplinary commission investigation. That’s a problem that might have been avoided if key players had acted decisively in the past.
Rokita’s predecessor, fellow Republican Curtis Hill, also found himself under investigation.
Hill groped several women, one of them a state legislator, at a party marking the end of a legislative session. Afterward, he told multiple and conflicting stories about his conduct. Then he tried to use the power of his office to intimidate the women who reported his boorish behavior.
All four legislative caucus leaders called for Hill’s resignation, as did Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb. But none acted to remove Hill from office.
The disciplinary commission recommended that his license to practice law be suspended for two months without the promise of automatic reinstatement. The Indiana Supreme Court reduced that to one month and reinstated Hill’s license.
The governor then asked the Supreme Court to say whether the suspension of Hill’s law license made him ineligible to serve as attorney general. The court declined to answer unless the governor filed suit to test the question.
In one of the great mistakes of his governorship, Holcomb opted not to do so.
Hill then appointed an underling to fill his seat for a month and proceeded as if nothing was different or wrong.
The lesson a person unburdened by an ethical compass could take from the episode was that an Indiana attorney general could trash both state law and legal standards of conduct at will—and the worst that would happen is that he or she would receive a month’s vacation.
Enter Todd Rokita.
Since assuming office, he has tried to turn the job of attorney general into a side hustle while he held onto a lucrative private-sector gig, dragged Indiana into fights over how other states conduct their elections and escalated a constitutional tiff between Holcomb and the state legislature by arguing his office granted him powers greater than those of the governor and the courts combined.
The Supreme Court dismissed that last bit of nonsense with a ruling that landed somewhere between a snort of dismay and a guffaw of disbelief.
Those episodes were all embarrassing but not necessarily illegal.
Rokita likely crossed that line, though, with his persecution of Dr. Caitlin Bernard.
Last summer, Bernard performed an abortion for a 10-year-old Ohio girl who had been raped. The doctor did so with the consent of the girl and her parents and while notifying all appropriate authorities in Indiana and Ohio.
That meant nothing to Rokita. He rushed to Fox News to accuse Bernard of all sorts of malfeasance without providing any proof.
When Bernard and her attorney offered ample evidence that the doctor had followed every law, Rokita refused to retreat or retract his statements—even as Fox distanced itself from what he’d said. Instead, the attorney general doubled down and began a campaign to make the doctor’s life miserable.
His conduct earned him condemnation from law professors at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law, former U.S. Appellate Court Judge John Tinder and former Republican U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks, who also served as U.S. attorney for Indiana’s southern district.
Worse, the former dean of the IU law school, Lauren Robel, asked the disciplinary commission to investigate Rokita’s conduct and Marion County Superior Court Judge Heather Welch ruled in December that the attorney general had violated state law in his campaign to punish Bernard.
Now, the matter is before the disciplinary commission again.
This gives everyone involved—the Supreme Court, the governor, the legislators, etc.—a second chance to make clear that Indiana’s top lawyer must follow the law and bring honor to the legal profession.
Let’s hope they take it.
FOOTNOTE: John Krull is director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students. The views expressed are those of the author only and should not be attributed to Franklin College.
Eagles blanked by Knights, 7-0​​
LOUISVILLE, Ken. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Tennis (2-3) falters against Bellarmine University, 7-0, Saturday afternoon at the Eddie Weber Tennis Complex.
Doubles:Â The Screaming Eagles were not able to find luck in doubles competition, dropping two with number three going unfinished.
Singles: USI could not get any momentum in singles play, falling in all six. Junior Lauren Rowe (Terre Haute, Indiana) was closest to a victory after taking her opponent 6-4, 6-4 at number one.
NEXT UP FOR THE EAGLES:
The Eagles are back at the Evansville Tennis Center Friday, February 17 when USI hosts Eastern Kentucky University starting at 1:30 p.m. This will be the first meeting between the two programs in school history.
 EVPL Foundation hosting annual Spring Mini Book SaleÂ
Evansville, IN, February 8, 2023 – The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Foundation will hold their annual Spring Mini Book Sale on Saturday, March 4, and Sunday, March 5.Â
The sale will take place in the Browning Rooms at EVPL Central. Hours of sale are Saturday, March 4 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sunday, March 5 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.Â
Thousands of items, including books, movies, and CDs, will be available for purchase, mostly ranging between $0.50 and $2.00. Some specialty items will be more than $2.00. A credit card payment option will be available with a minimum purchase of $10.Â
Proceeds from this sale support library programs and services, emerging technologies, collections, staff engagement, and special library projects and initiatives.Â
The EVPL Foundation will host two more book sales this year. The Summer Book Sale will be held August 6 and 7 and the Fall Mini Book Sale will be held November 4 and 5.Â
The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Foundation is 501(c)3 established to support Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library. Foundation Board Members are engaged and activated community members. Working in partnership with Library Leadership and Library Trustees, Foundation Board Members support the Library through fundraising, volunteering, and advocacy.Â
The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library has served our community for more than a century. With eight locations throughout Vanderburgh County, immediate access to hundreds of thousands of digital resources, and a dedicated team of library professionals, EVPL strives to create opportunities for you to discover, explore, and coÂ
Brides put the Statehouse’s wedding-cake architecture to good use
INDIANAPOLIS—When you think of the Indiana Statehouse, you might think of protests and conflict, but for some, it’s a place symbolizing love and unity—or rather, a setting for a wedding.
“The Statehouse in general gets a very political reputation to it,†said Madeleine Baker, a recent bride who married her now-husband, Delroy, under the stained glass rotunda.
But the location was stunning and, as an unlikely bonus, you can get married at the Indiana Statehouse for roughly 10% of the average wedding venue, which is around $10,000.
“It’s a beautiful venue that’s very cost-effective for most families,†said Tracy Jones, director of the Indiana Department of Administration. “You know, it’s an easy budget item, cheaper than most wedding gowns are, really.â€
Bride and groom Madeleine and Delroy first fell in love at Indiana University, then fell in love with the Statehouse.
With Madeleine working as an attorney just down the street from the Statehouse, she brushed it off after looking at the wedding page online.
“We went and took a look in person as well, and once we saw it in person, it was like a total 180,†Delroy said. “We were like, ‘Oh my God! This is what we need.’ I feel like it flies under the radar and not a lot of people consider it for a wedding venue.â€
The Statehouse offers what the wedding industry calls a “micro-wedding,†which is a two-hour event for $750. The standard wedding package at the Statehouse is either $1,250 or $1,450, depending. Jones said that there will be a price increase for 2024.
Though January through April is usually rather busy at the Statehouse, with the limestone building being used by lawmakers during the legislative session, Jones said that weekend weddings are still an option.
Some weekends, Jones has as many as four weddings, and the building hosts between 50 and 75 weddings a year.
“We’ve just tried to encourage our friends who are getting married and engaged and stuff to consider it as a venue,†Madeleine said. “I’ve had other friends get married there also, and it just— it’s just so beautiful.
“We can’t say enough good things about the Statehouse. Everybody just had such good things to say about it. And we got so many compliments. It was just a really good experience. I would have my wedding there 10 times over.â€
Ashlyn Myers is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students. Â
Hoosier History Highlights: Ida Husted Harper Born in Fairfield
February 12 – February 18The Week in Indiana History |
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Match the song with the Hoosier who wrote the words and/or music.  1. Take Me Out to the Ballgame  2. Stardust                   3. Small Town                 4. Sweet Child o’ Mine          5. On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away                     6. You’re the Top  A. Hoagy Carmichael           B. Paul Dresser               C. John Mellencamp           D. Cole Porter                E. Axl Rose                   F. Albert Von Tilzer Answers below
“The moment we accept the theory that women must enter wage-earning occupations only when compelled to do so by poverty, that moment we degrade labor and lower the status of all women who are engaged in it.†—Ida Husted Harper (1851 – 1931) Take an “armchair tour” of the Indiana Statehouse
Answers:Â Â 1. FÂ Â 2. AÂ Â 3. CÂ Â 4. EÂ Â Â 5. BÂ Â 6. D |
1966   Lebanon High School’s Rick Mount became the first high school athlete to be pictured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The same year, he was voted the state’s “Mr. Basketball†and the “USA Basketball Yearbook Player of the Year.â€Â He went on to be a scoring leader at Purdue University followed by a professional career in the American Basketball Association.
Attorney General Todd Rokita and team win $700,000 settlement over alleged Medicaid fraud by Hammond orthopedic surgeon
Attorney General Todd Rokita today announced a $700,000 settlement on behalf of Hoosiers to address allegations that a Hammond orthopedic surgeon overbilled Indiana’s Medicaid program.
“The purpose of Medicaid is to help patients in need cover health care expenses they otherwise would find difficult to pay,†Attorney General Rokita said. “The program is not intended to serve as a cash cow for providers.â€
An investigation by Attorney General Rokita’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit uncovered abnormalities in charges billed to Medicaid by the Southeastern Medical Center (SEMC), operated by Dr. Kishan Chand.
Between Jan. 1, 2016, and June 1, 2021, SEMC submitted approximately 13,101 claims indicating that medical staff performed spinal manipulation on patients who were under anesthesia.
Records, however, showed no associated billing for an anesthesiologist or a hospital or surgical center and that the frequency of billing by SEMC was a substantial outlier across all Medicaid providers — all of which raised the question of whether manipulation under anesthesia had been performed at all.
“Physicians and other providers have an ethical and legal obligation to accurately report medical procedures for which they seek Medicaid reimbursement,†Attorney General Rokita said. “My office will continue to ensure citizens’ tax dollars are protected from fraud and abuse by vigorously pursuing providers who have been unjustly enriched through improper billing.â€
The Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a federal grant. The remaining 25 percent is funded by the State of Indiana.
The settlement agreement is attached.
- SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT – CHAND.pdf
City Council Meeting FEBRUARY 13, 2023
FEBRUARY 13, 2023
5:30 P.M.
AGENDA
| I. | INTRODUCTION |
02-13-2023 Agenda Attachment:
| II. | APPROVAL OF MEETING MEMORANDUM |
1-23-2023 Memo Attachment:
| III. | REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS |
| IV. | SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY |
| V. | CONSENT AGENDA:Â FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS |
A. ORDINANCE G-2022-28 An Ordinance Amending Chapter 9.30 (Regulation of Noise) of the Evansville Municipal Code Sponsor(s): Burton, Elpers, Moore Discussion Led By: ASD Chair Mosby Discussion Date: 2/27/2023 Notify: Josh Claybourn, Jackson Kelly G-2022-28 Attachment:
B. ORDINANCE G-2023-02 An Ordinance to Vacate all the 30 foot Right of Way Easement Platted for Royal Avenue on Lot 6 of Eden Place, as per Plat Thereof, Recorded in Plat Book M, Page 171 in the Office of the Recorder of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, being on the North Side of Vogel Road and Approximately 350 feet West of the Existing Royal Avenue Sponsor(s): Trockman Discussion Led By: Public Works Chair Brinkmeyer Discussion Date: 2/27/2023 Notify: Bret Sermersheim, Morley G-2023-02 Attachment:
C. ORDINANCE G-2023-03 An Ordinance to Vacate Certain Platted Easement Within the City of Evansville, Indiana, Along the West Side of Property Commonly Known as 7801 E. Walnut Street Sponsor(s): Trockman Discussion Led By: Public Works Chair Brinkmeyer Discussion Date: 2/27/2023 Notify: Ryan Parker, Jackson Kelly G-2023-03 Attachment:
D. ORDINANCE F-2023-02 An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Authorizing Transfers of Appropriations, Additional Appropriations and Repeal and Re-Appropriation of Funds for Various City Funds Sponsor(s): Beane Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Beane Discussion Date: 2/27/2023 Notify: Russ Lloyd, Jr., Controller F-2023-02 Attachment:
E. ORDINANCE R-2023-04 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 3119 Washington Ave Owner:Pedro & Teresa Alfaro Requested Change: R1 to R2 Ward: 2 Mosby Representative: Neil Madadi R-2023-04 Attachment:
F. ORDINANCE R-2023-05 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 1410 Brookside Dr Owner:Fehme, LLC Requested Change: CO2 to R1 Ward: 3 Heronemus Representative: Johnna Hancock-Blake, Berkshire Hathaway R-2023-05 Attachment:
G. ORDINANCE R-2023-06 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 905 N Main St Owner: DC USA Inc Requested Change: C2 to R2 Ward: 4 Burton Representative: Matt Lehman, RLehman & Son Consulting R-2023-06 Attachment:
H. ORDINANCE R-2023-07 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 318, 320, 322 E Cherry St Owner: United Caring Shelters, Inc Requested Change: C4/R5 to PUD Ward: 4 Burton Representative: Jeramy Elrod, Morley R-2023-07 Attachment:
| VI. | COMMITTEE REPORTS |
| VII. | REGULAR AGENDA:Â SECOND READING OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS |
| VIII. | RESOLUTION DOCKET |
A. RESOLUTION C-2023-01 A Resolution of the Common Council Approving Amendment of Interlocal Agreement with Knight Township for Fire Protection Sponsor(s): Burton, Beane, Weaver Discussion Led By: President Heronemus Discussion Date: 2/13/2023 Notify: Marco DeLucio, ZSWS C-2023-01 Attachment:
B. RESOLUTION C-2023-02 A Resolution Approving an Interlocal Agreement Between the City of Evansville and Vanderburgh County Regarding the Distribution of Funds Received From the 2021 Local Byrne Justice Grant Program Award Sponsor(s): Beane, Mosby, Moore Discussion Led By: President Heronemus Discussion Date: 2/13/2023 Notify: Marco DeLucio, ZSWS C-2023-02 Attachment:
| IX. | MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS |
A. THE NEXT MEETING of the Common Council will be Monday, February 27, 2023 at 5:30 p.m.
B. BOARD AND COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS
C. ADDITIONAL MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS
| X. | COMMITTEE REPORTS |
| XI. | ADJOURNMENT |
