Education

White received a B.A.

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 from Wabash College

Wabash College

Wabash College is a small, private, liberal arts college for men, located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Morehouse College, Wabash is one of only three remaining traditional all-men's liberal arts colleges in the United States.-History:Wabash College was founded...

 and a J.D.

Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...

 from Valparaiso University

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...

.

Secretary of State

White, a member of the town council of Fishers

Fishers, Indiana

Fishers is a town located in Fall Creek and Delaware townships, Hamilton County, Indiana, with a population of 76,794, according to the 2010 census. A suburb of Indianapolis, Fishers has grown rapidly in recent decades: about 350 people lived there in 1963, 2,000 in 1980, and only 7,200 as recently...

, an Indianapolis

Indianapolis

Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

 suburb, and a former chairman of the Hamilton County

Hamilton County, Indiana

Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2010 recorded a population of 274,569. The county seat is Noblesville....

 Republican Party, ran against Democratic architect Vop Osili

Vop Osili

Samuel Ifeanyi "Vop" Osili is a Democratic politician from Indianapolis, Indiana. He is a member-elect of the Indianapolis City-County Council from the 15th district, in the southwestern portion of Center Township....

 in an election to succeed Republican incumbent Todd Rokita

Todd Rokita

Theodore Edward "Todd" Rokita is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He is formerly the two term Secretary of State of Indiana...

, who was term limited.

An issue in the campaign was whether White continued to serve on the Fishers council even after moving out of Fishers, and illegally voted in his old precinct in the May Republican primary. In February 2009, White moved to a condo in another part of Hamilton County. However, he claimed his former home, in which his ex-wife still lives, as his official residence. White subsequently admitted to voting in the wrong precinct, but blamed a hectic schedule for his failure to change his address. Nonetheless, White won in a landslide amid the massive Republican wave that swept through Indiana.

The state Democratic Party filed suit a month after the election, claiming that White was not eligible to run. The Democrats claimed that a state law requiring Secretary of State candidates to be registered voters means they must be registered legally. The state Recount Commission dismissed the Democrats' claim on a party-line vote, and White and was sworn in on January 6, 2011.

The office will be up for election again in 2014.

Indictment

In March 2011, White was indicted on seven felony counts including voter fraud, perjury and theft. He is charged with intentionally voting in the wrong precinct in the primary, continuing to serve on the Fishers council and drawing his salary after moving out of town, and lying about his address on a home loan. He was released from a Hamilton County jail after posting a $10,000 bond. White is set to go on trial on January 30, 2012.

Shortly after the news broke, Governor Mitch Daniels

Mitch Daniels

Mitchell Elias "Mitch" Daniels, Jr. is the 49th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana. A Republican, he began his first four-year term as governor on January 10, 2005, and was elected to his second term by an 18-point margin on November 4, 2008. Previously, he was the Director of the...

 and Indiana's other statewide elected officials urged White to step aside while the charges are pending. White would automatically be forced out of office if convicted on any of the charges; Indiana, like most states, does not allow convicted felons to hold office.

On April 7, 2011, Marion County

Marion County, Indiana

Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2010 recorded a population of 903,393, making it the largest county in the state and 55th most populated county in the country, greater than the population of six states. The county seat is Indianapolis, the state capital and...

 Circuit Court judge Louis Rosenberg ordered the Recount Commission to reconsider the Democrats' legal challenge to White's place on the ballot. Rosenberg could have issued a ruling on his own authority, but chose not to do so. If the challenge succeeds, Osili would become Secretary of State by default. By comparison, if White were forced out of office as a result of his felony case, Daniels would be able to appoint his successor The ruling specifically required the Recount Commission to make a finding on the legality of White's registration. Rosenberg retains control of the case and could issue a ruling himself if he isn't satisfied with the Recount Commission's work. Subsequently, White recused himself from the case; the Secretary of State is chairman of the Recount Commission. White was cleared by the Recount Commission in a bi-partisan 3-0 vote, saying that he intended to use his wife's home as his permanent address. However, the state party asked Rosenberg to review the decision, arguing that it put too much weight on White's testimony and ignored documents listing his new address. Rosenberg heard the case on November 23, even though White was absent. He will issue a ruling within the next 30 days.

Earlier, WISH-TV

WISH-TV

WISH-TV, virtual channel 8, is the CBS-affiliated television station for Central Indiana licensed to Indianapolis. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, WISH-TV is part of a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate WNDY-TV and the two share studios on North Meridian Street at the north end of Indianapolis'...

 political reporter Jim Shella wrote in his blog that the Democrats' challenge to White's ballot status could have implications beyond the Secretary of State race. According to Shella, if the Democrats were to prevail, the Republicans would have legally received no votes in the Secretary of State's race. This would drop them below the 10 percent threshold required to retain major-party status in the state (major party status is determined by Secretary of State results). After Rosenberg remanded the eligibility challenge back to the Recount Commission, Shella wrote that from White's perspective, he would be better off settling the criminal case before the fate of his office is decided. He could potentially get the felony counts reduced to misdemeanors in a plea deal, which would allow him to keep his law license even if he had to leave office. However, Shella wrote, if he is forced out of office, he would have no bargaining chip in any plea negotiations.

Personal

White lives in Hamilton County

Hamilton County, Indiana

Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2010 recorded a population of 274,569. The county seat is Noblesville....

with his wife Michelle and three children.

External links

• Official government website
• Charlie White for Secretary of State official campaign website