Chalk up another scandal for MMM (the Guv)...

[SpeedwayDemocrat]

Get out your Republican corruption scorecards again, kiddies, as it's once again time to play "Pay to Play with Mitchie and Friends!"

This story is set to break tonight on WISH-TV, but those fine folks at Taking Down Words bring it to us FIRST (bless you, Jen!):

"Unethical Perks For Insider Access? Alleged Scandal Goes Straight To The Top"

Shortly after this year's election, the Governor's Senior Advisor for Latino Affairs, Juana Watson, traveled to Mexico on official business. From there, she and her daughter allegedly flew first-class to Puerto Rico and stayed at a five-star resort there, all courtesy of a powerful Puerto Rican businessman named Jorge Rodriguez, who apparently has been trying to do business with the state for the past few months.

Rodriguez is president of a company called PACIV-USA, which is headquartered in Puerto Rico but established an operation in Indiana in January 2003. A query to the state contracts database shows no current contracts between the State and PACIV-USA, but TDW has heard from several sources that Rodriguez is eager to get that relationship up and running.

Enter Watson.

In exchange for her alleged all-expenses-paid trip to Puerto Rico, she supposedly secured a very recent private meeting between Rodriguez and the Guv.

In addition to the free vacation, Rodriguez is rumored to have sweetened the pot for Watson to arrange the meeting by cutting her a $10,000 check for a charity called "Friends for Calnali" (a Lexis search shows that the non-profit has changed its name to "Friends of Hidalgo, Inc."). According to its 2004 IRS 990 report, Watson served as the group's uncompensated Secretary/Treasurer. The charity, which was set up to benefit Watson's hometown in Mexico, appears to be both well intended and very legitimate, though the 990 reports (available through GuideStar after a painless and free registration process) don't break down who has donated money to or received money from the group.

Rumor has it the State Ethics Commission is looking into the vacation and other matters related to Watson's professional behavior over the last 18 months, and the group apparently is scheduled to meet behind closed doors this week to review the allegations and evidence.

Several sources within the Latino community have said that the Governor's Office is putting pressure on media types not to dig any deeper. If these kind of pay-for-play deals have been going on right under the Guv's nose for the past 18 months, it's going to be pretty difficult for him to avoid a little of the blame.

<http://www.takingdownwords.com/>

Check your score cards, as we have a GROWING list here, people:
Dick Rhoad investigation
Esther Schneider investigation
Tom Sharp investigation
Harry Gonso investigation
Earl Goode investigation
Heather Bolejack investigation
Kate Gullens investigation

O.K., so who have I missed? And will MMMitchie throw Watson under the bus?
And, most importantly - when will the lazy-ass local media (besides WISH-TV) WAKE UP?
(cue sound of crickets chirping)...
sign ;--(

[Voltaire]

1. Hey now! Don't be a HATA

Insinuating that Little Boots is anything BUT pure as the driven snow!!! I'm apalled at you Speedway Democrat....just appalled.

But I like the way you think!

[SpeedwayDemocrat]

2. Media wimped out - again! Story update...

Looks like both the media and state employees have been warned to keep this story under wraps. From this afternoon's blog (an update):

" The Walls Keep Speaking: More On Alleged Ethics Violation In Guv's Office
The chatter surrounding the ethics violation allegedly committed by one of the Guv's senior staff members continues to grow louder.

Word on the street is that the Guv's Office and the Marion County Republican Party are working overtime to kill any story that might arise out of allegations that Senior Advisor for Latino Affairs Juana Watson took an all-expenses-paid vacation to Puerto Rico with her daughter last month in exchange for setting up a meeting between the Guv and Jorge Rodriguez, who's rumored to have financed the trip because he needed to get his business foot in the state contracts door.

Sources say folks who were scheduled to appear for media interviews have bailed out at the last minute, and others involved in blowing the whistle on Watson are being warned to proceed at their own employment risk.

It really shouldn't be this hard. The Guv should produce Watson and her travel records. Someone should ask, "Say, Juana, did you go to Puerto Rico with your daughter on November 9?"

If the answer is yes, who paid for the trip? If she says she did, then she needs to produce receipts to that effect. If she can't, then the Ethics Commission must step in and investigate this and the other allegations made in a formal complaint that supposedly was filed with that office last Friday.

In his typical fashion, though, the Guv appears to be standing by Watson no matter what. We've seen this before. With Dick Rhoad. With Mitch Roob. With Earl Goode. With Heather Bolejack (for a very brief period in time). With Esther Schneider.

Instead of putting pressure on mainstream media not to run with a story, the guy would be better served -- remember all those promises of open and ethical government? -- shining a light on alleged corruption from within."

Can anybody out there loan the Indiana media A SPINE??? They seem to be unable to stand up to the lil Hitler...