Kelty Blaming Deomocrats - Let's Hope Not

I am saddened to hear Matt Kelty is now blaming the Democrats for the legal issues he faces. This issue broke open when some disenchanted Republicans blew it wide open. They did not get their way in seeing Nelson Peters elected as the Republican mayoral candidate and they where damn mad. A majority, of the big money supporters, within the party believed they had locked Kelty out of the race by not financially supporting him. It did not work, and they where ticked off. They believed, they could intimidate Kelty into quitting and walking away.

When this news broke in the media, it was reported people within the Republican Party where questioning his campaign finance reports. While the Democratic Party took a position of Kelty may have some problems they did not raise the red flags at that time. Only a few people within the Republican Party even knew the details that was leaked to the local media.

Certain Republican Party members hoped that they could force Kelty to withdraw from the race and Peters could step in. Kelty refused to and decided to amend his campaign finance reports to try to make them happy. That was unacceptable to this group.

The group became even more enraged. It led to the couple meetings of various members of the Republican Party Executive Committee. The non-elected group came apart at the seams. Some of the power brokers learned they did not have the control they believed they owned. Some resigned, some went to the media to spill the beans on what was said in a private meeting, and others defended Kelty.

Regardless to who actually requested a formal review by the Allen County Election Board or filed a complaint with the Allen County Prosecuting Attorney is mute. The issue was out there and needed a formal review so there was a definitive answer for the voters. Once someone starts yelling "wolf," then someone has to decide if indeed there is a wolf or not.

Republican Prosecuting Attorney Karen Richards was in a no win situation. If she had taken action either way she was going to be wrong. If she did nothing, the Democrats would have been screaming from the tree tops. If she did something, some within the Republican Party would be yelling from the tree tops she was still supporting Nelson Peters. She did the only right thing she could do in requesting a special prosecutor.

I have always had full trust and belief in Kelty. While some of his viewpoints are a little too conservative for me, I do trust the man. That is until now! If he is going to let the people within his campaign committee or the Republican Party shape what he says then that trust and belief in him is gone! He no longer is his own man.

Kelty needs to return to the real issues and what he will do for the voters of Fort Wayne. Kelty runs the risk of the public tuning him out if all he discusses is his legal issues. Once they tune him out they will never tune him back in.