Only one question remains regarding Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales.
Did he use anesthesia during the surgical procedure in which his conscience was removed—or did his addiction to the taxpayers’ largesse salve whatever pain or discomfort he felt?
Even in a state such as ours in which levels of corruption that would gag rodents often become institutionalized—think of all the tax dollars that are supposed to be devoted to education that somehow find their way into the pockets of consultants, lobbyists and even lawmakers—Morales’ conduct has been noteworthy.
That’s not a compliment.
It’s hard to know where to begin with Morales’ egregious reliance on the taxpayers to fund his increasingly lavish lifestyle.
Maybe we should start with his recent purchase—with, of course, state funds—of an SUV so luxurious that it would make a member of the Saudi royal family blush. Apparently, traveling in anything other than plush opulence would crimp our secretary of state’s style, fastidious fellow that he is.
Or perhaps we could initiate our examination with Morales’ penchant for putting family members on the public payroll. Almost as soon as he took the oath of office, he hired his brother-in-law at an annual salary of $106,000—almost twice the average yearly wage for Hoosiers—to perform not particularly well-defined tasks.
Possibly, we should focus on the fact that he hands out bonuses to favored staff members—again for unspecified accomplishments—as if the checks were Christmas stocking stuffers.
The difference, of course, is that Christmas in the secretary of state’s office doesn’t come just in December or even July but year-round—or anytime Morales has a whim to be generous, oh so generous, with the money the citizens of Indiana placed in his safekeeping.
The only time Morales seems to grow stingy is when he’s asked about his spendy, spendy ways.
When Indiana Rep. Ed Delaney, D-Indianapolis, pressed the secretary of state for details about his budgeting and spending in a House committee meeting, Morales—normally an abnormally loquacious fellow—turned deaf and mute as a petrified stump.
He just smiled at the silly lawmaker who was trying to perform a constitutionally mandated duty to provide legislative oversight on state spending and then went about his day.
Laws and budgeting processes are for other people, not for our profligate secretary of state.
Morales’ wastrel ways have prompted critics to call for his fellow Republicans in the legislature to initiate investigations, impeachments and other forms of inquiry into the secretary of state’s uses of the debit card the taxpayers of this state provided for him.
Those calls have been met with silence, for a couple of reasons.
The first is that Indiana’s laws regarding self-dealing and other forms of financial malfeasance by officeholders would have to be tightened up quite a bit just to be considered lax. Morales may not keep a close eye on his spending, but he’s a keen enough political observer to know that allowing Hoosier politicians to police themselves on matters of financial propriety leaves loopholes large enough to drive a $90,000 luxury SUV through.
Second, as we’ve noted, while Morales may be the most blatant offender of basic frugality that we’ve seen in quite some time, he’s far from the only Indiana elected official to find creative ways to use public office to feather his or her own nest.
If lawmakers were to get serious about reining in the secretary of state, Morales could and likely would respond by pointing to legislators who have cozy but unseemly arrangements balancing public office and private gain. He may be generous when it comes to spending our money, but he doubtless is far less so when it comes to turning the other cheek.
So, Morales will continue his spending spree, unchecked and unrestrained, because that’s who he is, and no one cares enough to stop him.
Years ago, a reporter asked the notorious bank robber Willie Sutton why he robbed banks.
“Because that’s where the money is,” Sutton replied.
If someone asked Diego Morales why he ran for office, one suspects he would answer the same way.
Because that’s where the money is.