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Indianapolis Star
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita faces new complaint - from a Republican senator
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is facing another disciplinary complaint, this time filed by a state senator who says he made a "blatantly false" claim about her on a podcast this week. Republican Sen. Liz Brown of Fort Wayne said she filed an official grievance with the Indiana Supreme Court's disciplinary commission after Rokita said Brown told him she has a family member who's an unlawful resident. But Brown's office says Brown does not have a family member in the United States illegally. Should the disciplinary commission decide to file a misconduct charge and launch an investigation, that would be Rokita's third since he took office. What Rokita said and why he says he said it The flap began on April 30 when Rokita appeared on a podcast called The Burning Truth with South Bend radio host Casey Hendrickson. Rokita said Brown told him that the reason she did not hold a hearing for a key immigration bill this session was because she had a family member who was an unlawful resident. Rokita and even members of Indiana's Congressional delegation supported House Bill 1531, which would have enabled the governor to withhold funding from local governments that do not comply with U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement officials in their efforts to detain immigrants. Brown, who chairs the Senate judiciary committee, declined to hold a hearing on the bill before the deadline, effectively killing it. At the time and now, she said she was hearing many concerns from Hoosiers about how this bill would be enforced. In a statement to IndyStar on May 2, a spokesperson for Brown said an industry leader told her they'd have to violate federal law in order to comply with this bill ― and there was not enough time this session to iron out the problems with this bill. On the podcast this week, Rokita said Brown killed the bill because she had a "personal grudge against the language," adding "she's got a family member who's an illegal alien." "She can hold up the wishes of the entire state, but there's that," he said. Brown's office said that Rokita's comments had no grounding in reality. "This claim by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is blatantly false, and is meant to be misleading to Indiana constituents to make them think that Senator Brown has a personal conflict in performing her duties as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee," spokesperson Paige Gehlhausen wrote. "These public erroneous statements are made in an attempt to hurt the credibility and transparency needed and expected in the Indiana state legislative process." In a statement to IndyStar after Brown filed her complaint, Rokita said Brown had told him her reasons were "very personal" and that she cited a "family member that was unsuccessful getting citizenship." "Either Liz provided inaccurate or unclear information to me and others in the past, or she is backtracking now," Rokita said. Addressing the complaint she filed, Rokita said, "Liz can get in line." "This is also another example of weaponization of the Indiana court system to attempt to silence me and the people of this state who are tired of sending representatives to Indianapolis who don't really represent them," he said. Rokita has faced disciplinary action before. The court in 2023 ruled that Rokita engaged in attorney misconduct when he called Indianapolis Dr. Caitlin Bernard an 'abortion activist acting as a doctor — with a history of failing to report" on Fox News. After that ruling, when Rokita issued a press release that the commission thought contradicted his sworn affadavit, the commission filed an ethics complaint. Rokita sought to get the complaint dismissed, but was unsuccessful last week.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Indiana lawmaker files disciplinary action against state's attorney general
Republicans Sen. Liz Brown, left, and Attorney General Todd Rokita traded blows Friday over the demise of an immigration bill — an issue that may now appear before the Indiana Supreme Court disciplinary commission. (Photos by Whitney Downard and Casey Smith/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita's claims about a sitting lawmaker — that she stopped an immigration bill for 'personal reasons' — could land him in more legal hot water after she lodged a disciplinary action against him. Rokita, in an archived April 30 interview with conservative radio host Casey Hendrickson, said the bill 'stalled' because 'someone had a personal grudge against the language,' naming Fort Wayne Sen. Liz Brown as the barrier. '… (She) told me one of the reasons was she's got a family member who's an illegal alien,' Rokita told Hendrickson. In a statement shared with the Indiana Capital Chronicle, a spokesperson for Brown called the claim 'blatantly false.' 'Senator Brown does not have an illegal alien relative. This claim by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is blatantly false, and is meant to be misleading to Indiana constituents to make them think that Senator Brown has a personal conflict in performing her duties as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee,' said her legislative office said. 'These public erroneous statements are made in an attempt to hurt the credibility and transparency needed and expected in the Indiana state legislative process.' Brown went on to confirm that she'd filed an official grievance and request for an investigation into Rokita's comments with the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission. The underlying bill, House Bill 1531, would have required local law enforcement officers to comply with federal detainer requests for undocumented immigrants. It would have also banned employers from hiring unauthorized residents. Though the bill passed out of the House on a 64-26 vote, it never got a hearing in the Senate, where it was assigned to Brown's committee. As the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Brown has the power to select which bills get a hearing — though bills can be reassigned to other committees to circumvent a chair. When author Rep. J.D. Prescott was asked about the bill's demise by the Indiana Capital Chronicle, he referred questions to Brown. Brown, an attorney, said she'd shared concerns with Rokita about the legislation 'early in the legislative process.' The statement cited the condensed timeline during a budget-writing session and said Hoosiers had shared issues regarding potential impacts, including the possibility of a conflict with federal law. Rokita weighs in on federal education moves, Indiana immigration bill Instead, the office pointed to her support for House Enrolled Act 1393, which would require local law enforcement to notify federal immigration authorities about undocumented immigrants in custody. '(Brown) commends President Trump for the decisive actions he has taken federally to stop the flow of illegal immigration,' the statement concluded. Rokita fired back, saying in a statement that Brown either 'provided inaccurate or unclear information to me and others in the past, or she is backtracking now.' 'As for a disciplinary complaint, Liz can get in line. She didn't give my office the authority to investigate illegal aliens, but she wants others to investigate me over comments she made. How ironic,' Rokita said. 'This is also another example of weaponization of the Indiana court system to attempt to silence me and the people of this state who are tired of sending representatives to Indianapolis who don't really represent them.' He went on to accuse the disciplinary commission of encouraging 'this political lawfare' by endorsing political candidates, making donations and accepting complaints from 'politically partisan people.' Rokita has faced the disciplinary commission before. He continues to litigate a case in which he called a practicing OB-GYN an 'activist acting as a doctor' after she mentioned seeing a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio travel to Indiana for an abortion. She was later fined by the Medical Licensing Board for sharing patient information — a move supported by Rokita. Though reprimanded by the state's Supreme Court justices, a subsequent press release from Rokita's office and his public statements have prompted further scrutiny. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rokita weighs in on federal education moves, Indiana immigration bill
Attorney General Todd Rokita speaks to the media on Friday, March 21, 2025. (Niki Kelly/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Attorney General Todd Rokita met with reporters Friday to applaud President Donald Trump's move to shutter the U.S. Department of Education. While in Congress, Rokita chaired a K-12 education committee and carried a bill to eliminate the agency. 'We never had the votes. I don't know that we have the votes now in Congress, but this executive order is certainly a step in the right direction,' Rokita said. 'It can't eliminate the department, technically, right? There's still that enabling legislation that will have to go through Congress, but it's clear that this executive order defunds a huge majority of that department.' Trump signed an executive order last week to close the education department. The Indiana attorney general told Hoosiers that the important funding streams that help Indiana's low-income and special needs students will still exist and be handled by other agencies. But he said the federal strings that come with that funding will be gone. 'We're going to be fine. Parents are going to be fine. Students are going to be fine in the state of Indiana,' Rokita said. The attorney general also pitched an immigration bill he is pushing in the Indiana General Assembly. House Bill 1531 would require local compliance with federal detainer requests and crack down on businesses using unauthorized labor. 'It allows me to investigate whether a company is knowingly hiring illegal aliens, and if they are, they can lose their business license,' Rokita said. The measure passed the House 64-26 but has not yet received a hearing in the Senate. It has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne. 'I'm hopeful for it,' he said. 'I'm not sure why it would have a problem in the Senate, I'm told the Senate Judiciary Chairman doesn't like it. We had a conversation this week. It wasn't clear why she doesn't like it. It's a popular measure. It's a Hoosier, common sense measure.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Indiana's GOP congressional members pen letter supporting state immigration bill. What it does
Republican members of Indiana's congressional delegation sent a letter to Republican Statehouse leaders on Wednesday urging support of an immigration bill that would tie local government funding to whether entities cooperate with federal immigration law enforcement. House Bill 1531 says federal immigration laws can be carried out by state and local law enforcement and gives the attorney general the ability to advise the governor on whether to withhold funding from a local government that does not comply with immigration laws. Among other pieces of the bill, it also prohibits employers from hiring a person who is not legally allowed in the U.S. The bill, authored by Union City Republican Rep. JD Prescott, passed the House last month and is now in the hands of the Senate. The letter, led by U.S. Sen. Jim Banks, is also signed by Sen. Todd Young and Republican U.S. Reps. Rudy Yakym, Marlin Stutzman, Jim Baird, Mark Messmer and Erin Houchin. Republican Reps. Victoria Spartz and Jefferson Shreve did not sign onto the letter shared with IndyStar. Subscribe to our politics newsletter The letter, which is addressed to House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, and Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, calls HB 1531 a "commonsense measure" and says the bill would "go a long way toward addressing many of the immigration-related challenges our state faces." "States can and should play a key role in restoring integrity to our immigration system and protecting Americans from the social and economic costs of unrestrained migration," the letter states. "There is no reason why Indiana should not be a leader in that effort." Banks has written to Indiana lawmakers in the past about state legislation, but the delegation as a whole doesn't often publicly wade into discussions of state legislation. In 2024, Banks and then-Sen. Mike Braun, wrote to members of the Indiana General Assembly in support of a bill that bars foreign adversaries from owning or leasing farmland in Indiana. Former Gov. Eric Holcomb signed that bill into law last year. On immigration in 2025, Banks has specifically advocated for more cooperation on federal immigration enforcement from state and local entities. In February, he told a local TV station that he would consider withholding federal grants for Indianapolis police after IMPD Police Chief Chris Bailey said the agency does not have the authority to enforce federal immigration law. HB 1531 is one of at least 15 bills targeting illegal immigration that were filed at the Statehouse this year. Only a handful of them are still making their way through the legislative process. Some of those include: House Bill 1393, which requires law enforcement to notify their county sheriff if they have arrested someone for a misdemeanor or felony and have probable cause to believe that person is not legally in the U.S. Senate Bill 430, which would provide grants to law enforcement agencies for participating in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement's 287(g) program for immigration enforcement training. Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana congressional Republicans urge support of immigration bill
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Indiana House approves bill tying state funding to immigration enforcement
The Indiana House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday tying state funding for local governmental bodies to their cooperation in the enforcement of federal immigration law despite arguments from some Democrats who said they could not support the measure. House Bill 1531 passed the full chamber with a 64-26 vote after a brief discussion involving Union City Republican State Rep. J.D. Prescott, whose name is on the bill, and Democrats who sit on the House judiciary committee with him. The bill will now move to the Senate. The sweeping measure addresses the enforcement of federal immigration law by state and local government, law enforcement and businesses. A section requiring schools to report information on undocumented students was removed before HB 1531 made its way to the House floor. Prescott worked with the attorney general's office to craft the 14-section bill. It does not impact legal immigration, he said. Prescott previously said the bill addresses "bad-actor" employers who engage in labor trafficking by hiring people unauthorized to work in the United States over Hoosiers and holds governmental agencies accountable if they restrict the enforcement of immigration orders. It also strengthens Attorney General Todd Rokita's ability to enforce existing Indiana law banning sanctuary cities. Dozens of people spoke out against the bill on Monday as the House's judiciary committee weighed the measure. Clergy, educators, nonprofit workers and others argued the bill encourages discrimination, racial profiling and contributes to an atmosphere of hostility toward immigrants. After that meeting, some expressed disappointment that the committee still voted to send the measure to the full House for a vote. More: Bill penalizing cities and law enforcement for not enforcing immigration laws advances There were no outward displays of approval or disapproval from people watching the House discussion from the hallway on Thursday. Neither the Indiana Chamber nor the Indiana Sheriffs' Association has taken a favorable position on the bill. Rep. Maureen Bauer, D-South Bend, told the full House she is concerned about how the bill was crafted and its impact on already-stretched law enforcement agencies. "The enforcement of federal immigration laws is intensive and costly," she said, noting the bill threatens essential funding of local governments for up to a year and even jeopardizes dedicated federal grants. More: Indianapolis police chief: Immigration sweeps 'not our role' Rep. Ryan Dvorak, D-South Bend, questioned whether the bill actually penalized businesses for recruiting and hiring undocumented workers or if the civil enforcement mechanism in the bill gives them a slap on the wrist. "It doesn't go after the actual cause of most of the illegal immigration seen in the state of Indiana," he said. Both are members of the judiciary committee. Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn, D-Fishers. told the full House she could not support the bill due to its potential unintended consequences. Garcia Wilburn, another judiciary committee member, said the bill threatens Hoosier hospitality and the idea of Indiana as a welcoming state. It needs more work, Garcia Wilburn said. "We need to proceed with caution, ladies and gentlemen," she said. "When our constituents are communicating to us 'they are against all immigration,' I'm worried about the message this body is sending." Contact IndyStar investigative reporter Alexandria Burris at aburris@ This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana House passes immigration bill tying state money to enforcement
