INDIANAPOLIS — Marion County democrats are faced once again with a dilemma of their own making in Center Township.
Constable Kenneth Allen, elected last month by party precinct committee members to succeed disgraced Constable Denise Paul Hatch — who recently pled guilty to the charge of felony Official Misconduct — likely did not live in Center Township when he ran for and assumed office and quite possibly committed perjury by claiming so.
In the Candidate’s Statement of Organization filed Nov. 5, the day he was being defeated for re-election to the IPS Board of Commissioners, Allen listed an apartment building at 28 East 16th Street as his mailing address.
Similar documents were notarized in advance of the Nov. 8 election declaring Allen’s residency at the Piccadilly Apartments in the heart of Center Township at 16th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.
A source at the apartments tells FOX59/CBS4 that Allen was a resident in years past, did not live there in November, and said his lease did not become active until he moved in on Dec. 1.
”The Marion County Democratic Party was not aware of any issue with Kenneth Allen’s residency prior to the caucus,” said Myla Eldridge, the county party chairwoman. ”After Nov. 8 the party had not heard any word about any type of residency issue with Kenneth Allen.”
Eldridge said the party largely takes candidates at their word when they identify their residence address.
”That process consists of checking every candidate’s voter registration address, making sure that it matches the address that is on the candidate filing form,” she said. ”That’s how we vet the candidates. We check their voter registration address, where’s the last time that they voted, and his address is at 28 East 16th Street.”
There were six candidates in the race to become the Center Township Constable.
Byron Davenport Sr. was one of them.
”I explained in my two minutes that Center Township really needs to get it right this time.”
Like the other candidates, Davenport filled out the forms that required him to list his correct home address.
”Each one of us filled out a Declaration of Candidacy form. That form is a sworn affidavit under the penalties of perjury that the information you put on that form is true to the best of your ability. If Kenneth Allen did not put in the correct address as to where he lived, he falsified that document and could be penalized under the penalty of perjury,” said Davenport.
”Every candidate that runs for public office knows that that document has to be notarized and they know that the information on that document is a sworn affidavit. It must be correct. This is why they have you get that form notarized.”
Davenport said his own candidacy was hampered by lists of outdated precinct committee member addresses.
”I feel like the whole process was not correct from the beginning,” he said. ”I feel like the whole election should be done over from the beginning.”
William “Duke” Oliver, former City-County councilor, finished second in the caucus voting to Allen.
He filed a challenge to the election with the Marion County Election Board and will meet Friday to discuss his concerns with Eldridge.
When contacted by FOX59/CBS4, Allen’s chief deputy said the constable was in training all day and would be available for an interview on Dec. 16.
That’s four days after the Election Board hears Oliver’s challenge.