Indiana official sentenced for vote fraud

NOBLESVILLE, Ind., Feb. 23 (UPI) -- A judge Thursday sentenced former Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White to one year of home detention for committing voter fraud in 2010.

White, a Republican, was convicted Feb. 4 of casting a ballot in a May 2010 primary in a district in which he no longer lived. Hamilton County Judge Steve Nation sentenced White to one year of home detention for each of six counts on which White was convicted, but ruled that White could serve the terms concurrently, The Indianapolis Star reported.

White, a resident of Fishers in suburban Indianapolis, allegedly voted from his ex-wife's address in the May 2010 primary. Democrats said it was because he did not want to give up his seat on the town council after buying a condo outside his district, while White has described his failure to change his registration as an oversight.

Nation said Thursday he regarded White's actions as an intentional violation of "the trust of the people."

A Marion County, Ind., judge ruled in December that once White was charged, he became ineligible to serve as secretary of state. Indiana Democrats say when White left office, he should have been succeeded by Vop Osili, the Democrat who ran against him and finished second in November 2010.

However, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels has appointed White's chief deputy, Jerry Bonnet, as interim secretary of state, suggesting White might be able to return to office if the conviction can be overturned on appeal, or if he succeeds in having the offenses downgraded to misdemeanors.