CENTER’S $5.5M SUBSIDY / P16 • BUSINESSes CONCERNED / P18 • REAL ESTATE UPDATE / P32 Whenever I feel like I’m being an absent father, I do apologize to my son and just say, “I’ve got something to work on that’s very, very important and one day this will be over with, but until then I can’t take you to things. I can’t take you to movies. I can’t take you to the ballpark. I can’t go to the (Cincinnati) Reds games like we always used to go to. I can’t do it.” And of course, that’s what happened during the campaign too, thinking I’d make it all up once the campaign was over. Of course I still can’t do that yet. So that’s half of what I’m fighting for.Before we get to that, one thing I want to point out, which is rarely reported, is my original home down around Corydon and New Albany. I’m originally from a Democrat family. I was politically aware at a young age in general, but because I’ve got a large Democrat family that helped me to (understand) if there was a difference of opinion about politics, I was always respectful of that. ... but I’d always tell people, I don’t want any of you to do anything that’s going to hurt someone’s livelihood. I don’t want anyone to do anything like file for a prosecutor or attorney general, or the disciplinary commission, because that is what is what gets people not to want to run for office and that is what gets people not to want to vote. I said, no matter how bad things get, it can get bad to a certain point, but there’s a certain point to where you don’t November go past. Because Tuesday 1, 2011 then it becomes uncivilized. Now, as to the timeline: You know, the one thing I did that probably did not help 3210 East 96th Street • Indian me, but as a citizen I’m very proud to have done this, was … there was a feeling among many factions that (former Hamilton County apolis, IN 46Prosecutor) 240 • 888-641-01 Sonia Leerkamp needed to just retire and go away. I was friends with (Leerkamp) for years, but I felt that she burned a Ex lot of bridges with 53 pi res 11/5/ 11 Coupon must be the (Hamilton) County Council, when she called them extortionists, because hers was the only office that would not file reviews for present work when service ord valid with any oth er is written. No er chairman offer or discoun that t their employees, and I thought she had a horrible record on (sex crime cases). I believed as a citizen and asoua county she ted service. Valid and r dealership. Co only at upon not valid on her executive staff were incompetent, and they didn’t work well with the county council. And that’s why I met man named Paul Felix does with pre vio not includa us ch arg e taxes. Bring us es. Cost proof or meaning tell us your story.me. several times. I felt I had to get Felix to run. Sonia told one of my good friends that, “I’m going to get him someday for this,” And she sent letters to every precinct committeeman attacking me for supporting Felix, even though in past years I’d supported her. And then she lost that primary, and everybody was fairly happy. When the charges were filed against me by Greg Purvis and then by Vop Osili, one thing to understand is that this practice had been done by Democrats in the past against other local officials and nothing was ever done, no matter what the merits of the case were. It didn’t matter if you were a county chairman, or if you were an elected official currently, Sonia never went after anybody. It didn’t matter how bad it was. She simply didn’t do it. Or she called a grand jury and found a way to make sure they were given a “no” bill. So at the time I thought, Here they go again, filing yet another thing and this is ridiculous. because. No. 1, I didn’t do anything wrong and, No. 2, prosecutors across the state have priorities. They go after people that are dangers to society. They don’t spend their time letting three special prosecutors go after somebody for something like this. So here we are. I get this phone call to tell me that Vop, my Democrat opponent was in my office and (an Indianapolis television station) was there with him. The caller’s observation, or point to me was, “Charlie, I think it’s payback time.” And then a couple hours later, they announce they’re going to pick special prosecutors. Now you have to understand, this is six weeks before statewide election. Nobody does this. (Leerkamp’s) office doesn’t do anything quickly. I mean, look at their record on protecting rape victims. They don’t work this quickly. But they worked with greased lightning on this one. They decided to pick (special prosecutors) so quickly, right before the election, so the Democrats could run ads like the “Sorry Charlie” ads and have all the headlines they created, but here’s the thing though … we have a five-year statute of limitations on some of these things. What was the big hurry six weeks before an election to start on this when no other prosecutor in the state would?The problem is, and the biggest regret I have - and I don’t know how I would have dealt with this differently - but what I really regret is the fact that I didn’t take a step back and look at the situation. It’s been widely reported out of the entertainment of (an Indianapolis newspaper) about my wife’s debts. My wife had a hard life. ... I wanted to take care of the woman I intended to marry ... . I don’t regret helping my fiancée, but what I do regret is that I should have taken a step back and realized, for example, that the fact that someone did use her name and Social Security number to set up bills in places she never lived, or racked up bills in places she no longer lived, that it would mean I would have to put my name on bills, which they’re now using against me. When you’re trying to help somebody that needs help, when you know you’re going to get married - and this is something the media will not report - when she has two children and I have a child - a 6-year-old, a 10-year-old and a 14-year-old - you need to do what is in the best interest of those children. There is no darn way that I’m going to live (out of his district with Michelle before they wed) every day until I get married. That is just the right thing to do. I respect
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