Indiana and local prosecutors continue pursing fraud in a tainted mayoral primary in East Chicago. Eight more people, including two firemen, have been indicted for allegedly voting illegally in the May 2003 primary for mayor of East Chicago. Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter says those indicted voted in the primary even though they did not live in the city.
Over the past two years, 53 people have been indicted in the probe. Carter says the probe will continue as a way to weed out corruption in the city.
In that troubled 2003 primary, then longtime mayor Robert Pastrick narrowly defeated challenger George Pabey. But the Indiana Supreme Court ordered a new election a year later, which Pabey won, becoming the city’s first Hispanic mayor.