Ballard must show leadership on ethics

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 29, 2008


Ballard must show leadership on ethics
Mayor denounces Council conflicts, promotes Plowman

INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana Democratic Party Chair Dan Parker called on Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard to use his much-touted control of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department to eliminate conflicts of interest on the City-County Council.

Ballard has repeatedly said he wants to eliminate the appearance of ethical impropriety created by public safety officers who double as Council members, but his first act as titular head of IMPD included the promotion of Republican Council Majority Leader Lincoln Plowman to assistant commander of investigations.

Ballard took over the department at 12:01 this morning.

"Greg Ballard had the opportunity to send a message about this problem. Instead, he promoted someone with a glaring conflict of interest as his first act," Parker said. "Ballard should give Plowman and other affected Council members a choice: You can be an elected official or a sworn officer, but you can't do both."

Ballard told the Indianapolis Star last Sunday that the city should consider prohibiting all city and county employees, not just public safety officers, from serving on the Council.

"Once again, Greg Ballard is talking out of both sides of his mouth. He's only committed to ethics reform as a talking point," Parker said. "It's hard to take him seriously when he's constantly saying one thing and doing another."

Ballard promised on the campaign trail that he would enact tough ethics rules that would prohibit "influence peddlers" from being appointed to positions on city boards and commissions.

He then appointed powerful Republican lobbyist Bob Grand to head the Capital Improvement Board, which controls millions of dollars in contracts and manages several prominent local facilities.

For more information: Jennifer Wagner, 317-231-7125 or 317-752-6497

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Paid for and authorized by the Indiana Democratic Party, Daniel J. Parker, Chair.
This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.