Gov. Mike Braun's brand new IEDC board includes several large campaign donors
His firing of the previous eight board members June 23 is in keeping with Braun's efforts to cut ties with the previous administration and overhaul the beleaguered quasi-state agency that has caught criticism over transparency concerns. Indeed, he has a very different vision for the IEDC: While former Gov. Eric Holcomb's board brokered large high-tech industry deals with companies from outside Indiana, Braun wants to turn the IEDC's attention more toward homegrown, small- to-mid-size "Main Street" businesses.
But he differs from his predecessor in another way: Of Braun's nine new appointees, several gave significant sums to his gubernatorial campaign, totaling more than a quarter million dollars.
This board reviews and approves billions of dollars worth of economic development projects, investment awards, loans and grants.
While some, including Braun, see campaign donations as a nonfactor in appointments like this ― one argument being that it's natural for Braun to pick people he knows to be on such a board, and people he knows are likely to support him ― others concerned with government ethics find the whole setup concerning.
It gives an appearance of pay to play, which is "fundamentally problematic," said Abraham Schwab, psychology chair at Purdue University Fort Wayne.
"It's possible that this is a happenstance ... but that seems unlikely," he said.
Braun said campaign donations did not figure into his decision on appointments. Indiana business executives, among whom Braun counts himself, supported him heavily in the election, and it also is the case that he wanted to pick entrepreneurs for this board.
"I pick the people that I've known to be the most entrepreneurial, and when you're mostly supported by them, I'm not going to go after the standard cardboard cutout that would normally get on boards," he told reporters following the first quarterly meeting of his new board. "I'm looking for people that are going to be transformational. I've been clear that on economic development, I'm going to fertilize the field of small businesses and entrepreneurs.
He added that he plans to appoint some additional new members. By Indiana law, the governor chairs the IEDC board and can appoint up to 14 board members, at least three of whom must be Democrats.
Catch up: Braun overhauls IEDC board, appoints well-known Democrat, over displeasure with state agency
Collectively, five of Braun's new appointees had given about $263,000 to his gubernatorial campaign and another $16,650 to his Senate coffers.
Other new board members include former Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Greggl Terre Haute entrepreneur Greg Gibson; Don Lamb, director of the state Department of Agriculture; and David Fagan of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150.
None of this shocks outgoing board member Mark Miles, the CEO of IndyCar and Penske Entertainment.
It makes sense that Braun would look around among the people he knows in the business world to lead such a board, and also that people he knows in this world could have supported him in his race.
"You would hope to fill boards with people you know and who have the skillset," he said. "In my mind someone would be crazy to make a donation to be on the IEDC board, which is unpaid."
Previous IEDC board members did not, at least under their own names, give in nearly comparable sums to the two previous governors.
Even if this isn't quid pro quo, it's an example worth noting of the power of money and relationships at this level, said Laura Wilson, politics professor at the University of Indianapolis. It makes sense to her, given the politicization of this agency, that Braun would want to choose some supporters.
"The IEDC's been a political football for over 12 months," she said. "It's not just an innocuous small board on the periphery that no one's ever heard of."
Even if this seems like the norm, that doesn't make the norm ethically sound, Schwab said. It not only gives the appearance that this administration may reward people who give during campaign season, he said, but raises the question of whether the board's decisions will be in the public's interest or Braun's.
"Anybody who might challenge Braun's views on economic development," he said, "we get rid of them so we can have a bunch of 'yes' people."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
a few seconds ago
- New York Post
Zohran Mamdani blasts Cuomo plan to block privileged from rent-stabilized pad, but gives no sign he's ready to give up his own
Mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani on Monday blasted the 'petty vindictiveness' of rival Andrew Cuomo's proposed 'Zohran's Law' that would target privileged New Yorkers who live in rent-stabilized homes — but gave no sign he'll move out. Mamdani, 33, who lives in a $2,300-a-month rent-stabilized Astoria apartment while pulling $142,000 a year as state assemblyman, condemned Cuomo's proposal as dangerously detail-free. 'What do we know about this policy proposal beyond the fact that it seeks to evict me from my apartment?' the Queens lawmaker said. 'Like so much of Andrew Cuomo's politics, it is characterized by a petty vindictiveness… How many New Yorkers would have their lives upended by a former governor who is responding to the fact that he was handily beaten by a tenant of a rent-stabilized apartment?' Cuomo, the former governor, saw his dreams of a convincing political comeback dashed in the Democratic mayoral contest when the socialist Mamdani utterly trounced him, securing more primary votes than any Big Apple Dem in three decades. 3 Zohran Mamdani blasted mayoral election rival Andrew Cuomo's rent-stabilization proposal as the height of 'petty vindictiveness.' Matthew McDermott 3 Mamdani, who makes $142,000-a-year as a state lawmaker, pays $2,500 a month for his Astoria apartment — and Cuomo wants him to move out. Brigitte Stelzer The defeat didn't stop Cuomo from launching an independent mayoral run, with an emphasis on aggressively attacking Mamdani and making cringe-inducing posts on social media. The ex-gov concocted 'Zohran's Law' as Mamdani — the son of well-known filmmaker and a professor — faced criticism for not giving up his rent-stabilized apartment in what critics said was a hypocritical stance that clashed with his pro-affordable housing campaign message. 'We're not supposed to be providing rent-stabilized apartments to the children of millionaires,' Cuomo said Sunday. 'Somewhere last night in New York City, a single mother and her children slept at a homeless shelter because you, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, are occupying her rent-controlled apartment,' he twisted the knife in a viral tweet. 'I am calling on you to move out immediately and give your affordable housing back to an unhoused family who need it.' 3 Cuomo has been trying to hit Mamdani on social media. Matthew McDermott Rent-stabilized homes account for 1 million units — or half of all apartments — in New York City. Rent control, which Cuomo inaccurately said applies to Mamdani's apartment, is for tenants who've lived continuously in their homes since 1971. Cuomo's actual proposal wouldn't evict high-income New Yorkers from rent-stabilized apartments but would only apply once a rent-stabilized apartment becomes vacant. The incoming renter's income would be capped so that the annual rent makes up at least 30% of that income, meaning a $2,500-a-year apartment can only have tenants who make less than $100,000. Mamdani's spokeswoman Dora Pekac blasted Cuomo's supposed hypocrisy. 'Andrew Cuomo—the disgraced former governor who casually handed a billion-dollar tax break to Elon Musk—wants working New Yorkers to prove how much they are struggling before he approves their lease,' she said. 'While Cuomo cares only for the well-being of his Republican donors, Zohran believes city government's job is to guarantee a life of dignity, not determine who is worth one.' Mamdani repeated his skepticism over such 'means testing' as an approach, noting the MTA's 'Fair Fares' program only serves about 40% of eligible low-income New Yorkers. He said a free bus pilot program that he championed didn't make more millionaires and billionaires ride the bus, but rather helped increase ridership by New Yorkers who already qualified for Fair Fares. Beyond that, Mamdani argued that Cuomo's decisions as governor — particularly slashing $65 million in rental assistance programs — helped lead to a surge in Big Apple homelessness. 'What Andrew Cuomo is proposing, be it the rent control he cited, the rent stabilization he intends to speak about, is in many ways reflective of the fact that I live rent-free in his head,' Mamdani said, giving no indication he planned to leave his home. 'He's not looking to reflect on the fact that he eliminated more affordable housing than he created. He's not looking to reckon with his cutting of a voucher program that was then followed by a significant increase in homelessness in New York City. He's not looking to reckon with any of that.' Mayor Eric Adams, who is also running as an independent, used the spat to attack both of his challengers. 'Rent-stabilized, low-income apartments should be just for that low-income people,' the mayor said. 'I keep telling people how we have to fix Cuomo's mess. He created this in 2019 when he took away the standards of who could stay in these apartments. This is one of his problems. He's complaining about who is in these apartments being high-income earners, but he created this.' Additional reporting by Carl Campanile and Craig McCarthy
The Hill
a few seconds ago
- The Hill
Nadler campaigns with Mamdani: ‘Trump is no friend to our city, and neither is Andrew Cuomo'
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) campaigned with New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday, slamming both President Trump and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. 'New York has always stood up to bullies and defended what's right, even when it's difficult, which is why we were so shocked to learn that Andrew Cuomo called Donald Trump for advice after the Democratic primary,' Nadler said at a press conference alongside Mamdani. 'This betrayal shows exactly what we're up against: politicians willing to legitimize our city's greatest threat for their personal benefit. The truth is, Cuomo and Trump are very similar. ' 'Both use their power to serve themselves and their wealthy donors, not the people. If it weren't clear before, it should be now. Donald Trump is no friend to our city, and neither is Andrew Cuomo. This is why the choice for New York City's next mayor is so critical,' he added. Mamdani recently heavily criticized reported moves by Trump regarding the New York City mayoral race. 'Today we learned Andrew Cuomo is directly coordinating with Donald Trump, even as this President sends masked agents to rip our neighbors off the streets and guts the social services so many New Yorkers rely on,' Mamdani said in a Wednesday post on the social platform X. 'It's disqualifying and a betrayal of our city,' he added. The New York Times reported last week that eight sources said the president talked in private about stepping into the race in an attempt to stop Mamdani from winning the November election. According to the Times, a Republican congressman and New York businessmen have been recently pressed by the president about which of Mamdani's rivals they believe could win against the Democratic nominee. Trump and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, also a candidate for New York City mayor, discussed the race in a phone call within the last few weeks, the Times also reported. During a press conference last week, Cuomo said he couldn't 'remember the last time I spoke to President Trump,' also adding that he has 'never spoken to him about the mayor's race.'
Politico
2 minutes ago
- Politico
What Kamala Harris can learn from John Kerry
HISTORY LESSON — A failed Democratic presidential nominee who's thinking about running again. A party that isn't thrilled about the prospect of a repeat bid. It sounds a lot like the situation currently facing Kamala Harris, but it's actually the dilemma that confronted Democrat John Kerry after his 2004 presidential defeat. And for Harris, what came next for Kerry could prove instructive as she weighs her options ahead of 2028. Back then, Democrats were reeling after George W. Bush's election to a second term. Many in the party expected the race was theirs for the taking; in the end, Bush won both a majority of the popular vote and the Electoral College. Kerry, however, kept the door open to a second White House bid long after Bush's victory. It wasn't until Jan. 2007 that Kerry announced he would not make a second run. While his experience offers a roadmap for Harris, it's also a cautionary tale about the hurdles facing failed candidates. For much of the two years before the 2006 midterms, Kerry actively campaigned across the country like a potential presidential candidate. He gave a formal speech on patriotism at Grinnell College, the elite liberal arts institution in Iowa, and was the guest of honor at the New Hampshire Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson dinner in 2006. And all throughout, he stumped for candidates in swing races across the country in places from rural Iowa to south Florida. Yet what doomed Kerry was the first time he put his foot in his mouth. Speaking to students on the eve of the midterms, Kerry said, 'Well, you know, if you make the most of it, and you study hard, and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you — you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq.' Critics immediately seized on the remark as an insult to the troops, and candidates in both parties called on him to apologize. His aides insisted that it was a botched joke about George W. Bush and that he meant to say 'you get us stuck in Iraq.' It didn't matter. Coming only days before the midterms, Democrats panicked as Republicans raced to condemn the former presidential nominee. Kerry was abruptly dropped from an event in Iowa where he was scheduled to appear with Bruce Braley, a Democrat running in a swing district and canceled other campaign trips as well. It was a fresh reminder of Kerry and his various blunders on the 2004 campaign trail, but also a sign of how little room for error he had within his own party after losing to Bush. Harris is in a far stronger position than Kerry ever was. The former vice president consistently leads Democratic polls in advance of the 2028 primary — Kerry, on the other hand, lagged behind Hillary Clinton in public polls. And Harris isn't held entirely culpable for the party's 2024 defeat — an abbreviated campaign marked by Joe Biden's abrupt, mid-campaign decision to bow out — the same way that Kerry was held responsible for blowing a lead against Bush. However, Harris has been far less visible so far than Kerry at a similar point. Part of that is simply a function of the fact that Harris is no longer in public life — she announced recently she would not run for California governor in 2026 — while Kerry remained in the Senate. But the Massachusetts Democrat also kept a far more active schedule than Harris did after his loss — within five weeks of his general election loss, Kerry had already returned to both Iowa and New Hampshire to thank supporters who had backed him in his primary campaign. All of that could change with Harris' coming book tour. The book, titled '107 Days,' is set to release Sept. 23. Even if she isn't campaigning with state Senate candidates in the suburbs of Webster City, Iowa, Harris is still likely to get more than sufficient eyeballs on the late night talk show circuit. The return to the spotlight risks opening up all the old wounds. It's hard to dodge questions about past decisions when promoting a book that is intended to be a chronicle of her 107-day presidential campaign. Hillary Clinton utilized a simple yet very effective putdown of Kerry after his 2006 gaffe. 'No one wants to have the 2004 election replayed,' she said, prompting bad memories among Democrats about the devastating loss two years earlier. For Harris, that will be the first challenge if she wants to mount a presidential bid — erasing fears that her nomination would look like a re-run. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@ Or contact tonight's author at bjacobs@ or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @Bencjacobs. What'd I Miss? — Trump places DC police under federal control, deploys National Guard: President Donald Trump said today he would place the Washington, D.C., police department under federal control and deploy the National Guard, an escalation of federal power in his campaign to tighten control over the nation's deep-blue capital city. 'This is liberation day in D.C. and we're going to take our capital back,' Trump said. Although crime in Washington hit a 30-year low last year, Trump on Monday said he was declaring a public safety emergency in the District. The president in recent days has seized on violence against a Trump administration staffer to cast the city as dangerous, pledging earlier today that 'Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum will DISAPPEAR.' — House Republicans back Trump on DC crime push: House Republicans moved quickly today to follow President Donald Trump's lead as he took unprecedented action to target Washington's locally elected government — further heightening the GOP's scrutiny of the capital city and its Democratic elected leaders. Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said he would haul Mayor Muriel Bowser, Council Chair Phil Mendelson and Attorney General Brian Schwalb to Capitol Hill next month for a hearing. The public grilling is likely to come as Trump's takeover of Washington's Metropolitan Police Department approaches a 30-day expiration date, requiring congressional action to continue. — Trump: Russia and Ukraine peace requires 'land swapping': President Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine will engage in 'land swapping' that will be 'good' and 'bad' for both countries, a key part of his push to end the years-long war. The president's comments on today follow insistence from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that his country would not trade land for peace, and underscore Trump's focus on making a deal with Putin. President Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine will engage in 'land swapping' that will be 'good' and 'bad' for both countries, a key part of his push to end the years-long war. — Trump defends deal to sell Nvidia export control license: President Donald Trump defended a deal he struck with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to waive national security concerns blocking the sale of certain semiconductor chips to China in exchange for the company giving the U.S. government 15 percent of the revenue. 'I said, 'I want 20 percent if I'm going to approve this for you,' Trump told reporters Monday during a White House press conference. 'For the country, for our country. I don't want it myself ... And he said, 'Would you make it 15?' So we negotiate a little deal.' Trump appeared to brush off concerns that he was weakening national security by approving the sale. He said the H20 chip manufactured by Nvidia is 'obsolete,' even though there is still a market for it in China and other places. — Judge denies DOJ bid to unseal grand jury material in Ghislaine Maxwell case: A federal judge today denied the Justice Department's effort to unseal grand jury material in the Ghislaine Maxwell case, calling the 'entire premise' of the government's move 'demonstrably false.' U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, in a 31-page decision, chided the Justice Department for its bid to make the material public because, he said, the public would learn virtually nothing new from the documents and 'would come away feeling disappointed and misled.' AROUND THE WORLD LAST MINUTE SUMMIT — U.S. President Donald Trump will join European leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for an emergency virtual summit on Wednesday. The call, organized by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, comes ahead of Friday's summit in Alaska between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine. The virtual summit will focus on pressure options against Russia, questions about Ukrainian territories seized by Russia, security guarantees for Kyiv and the sequencing of potential peace talks, a German government spokesperson told POLITICO. JOURNALISTS KILLED IN GAZA — Israel killed five journalists during an airstrike in Gaza, news outlet Al Jazeera reported. Anas al-Sharif, a prominent Al Jazeera reporter, was killed in a tent alongside four colleagues and two bystanders, the Qatari-owned network said. He shared a video of Israel's 'relentless bombardment' of Gaza shortly before he died. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the strike, claiming that al-Sharif, who is Palestinian, headed a Hamas terrorist cell and led 'advanced rocket attacks' against Israel. Al Jazeera has repeatedly denied allegations about al-Sharif's links to Hamas, and the United Nations special rapporteur for freedom of expression, Irene Khan, said last month that the claims were unsubstantiated. Nightly Number RADAR SWEEP THE ATOMIC BOWL — Less than five months after the U.S. bombed Nagasaki in 1945, the U.S. military returned to stage a New Year's Day football game. In an attempt to normalize the U.S. occupation of Japan, some 1,500 people gathered at a debris-riddled middle school to watch professional football players-turned-servicemen play. The long-forgotten game in a city where most of bombings' victims were non-combatants was emblematic of the American military and public's takeaways from the second nuclear bombing, argues Greg Mitchell. He reports on the game and its legacy for Mother Jones. Parting Image Jacqueline Munis contributed to this newsletter. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.
