A jury returned a guilty verdict at 2:30 a.m. this morning on six of seven felony charges against Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White. White was acquitted on a charge of fraud against a financial institution.
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels moved quickly to appoint an interim replacement for White, selecting Jerry Bonnet, current chief deputy for the Secretary of State.
“This is an exceptionally busy time in the Secretary of State’s office as signatures for president, U.S. Senate and governor are being certified this month,” Daniels said in a press release. “Jerry, a Yorktown native, has agreed to serve until I either select someone else to serve the remainder of the current term or until the prior occupant is reinstated.”
White is expected to appeal for the charges, all class D felonies, to be reduced to misdemeanors.
“I have chosen not to make a permanent appointment today out of respect for the judge’s authority to lessen the verdict to a misdemeanor and reinstate the elected office holder,” Daniels said. “If the felony convictions are not altered, I anticipate making a permanent appointment quickly.”
“Jerry Bonnet is a longtime employee who absolutely knows what should be done to provide the effective supervision and oversight the office requires,” said Daniels.
A copy of the appointment letter may be found here: http://www.in.gov/gov/files/