Backers tied to city business Posted: Wednesday, December 25, 2013 4:00 am By Karla Bowsher kbowsher@chronicle-tribune Marion residents may recognize the companies that employ the people behind Mayor Wayne Seybold’s campaign team — their tax dollars have been going to two of those companies for nearly as long as Seybold has been mayor. The treasurer of Hoosiers for Seybold, the campaign finance committee for Seybold’s run for state treasurer, is Jim Higgins, a partner in the Indianapolis-based accounting firm London Witte Group. The committee co-chairs are Bob Grand and Dan Dumezich, whom Seybold described as “the biggest names in Indiana politics.” Grand is a partner in Barnes & Thornburg, a national law and lobbying firm with offices in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. London Witte Group has served as financial adviser to the Seybold administration on general matters and particularly on bond transactions since at least 2005, making in the neighborhood of at least $25,000 to $30,000 per transaction, records shows. Barnes & Thornburg has served as bond counsel since at least 2005, making in the neighborhood of $35,000 to $50,000 per transaction. Seybold pointed out that he has also worked with other firms on such matters during his three terms as mayor, although he has for years regularly used London Witte Group and Barnes & Thornburg for bond transactions. “You’re barking up the wrong tree. I don’t make decisions on that kind of things,” Seybold said. “I try to hire really good people.” Grand agreed with Seybold’s hiring of Barnes & Thornburg. “He did the best thing for the city because be got the best firm for the city,” he said. “Our qualifications we could put up against anybody.” Barnes & Thornburg partner Brian Burdick — named on Seybold’s campaign letterhead — is general counsel for the Indiana Bond Bank, according to the firm’s website. The Indiana Bond Bank is one of the boards that the state treasurer chairs in addition to his duties as the state’s chief investment officer. Of the 13 boards the treasurer sits on, the Indiana Bond Bank may be the busiest, said Ball State University political science professor Ray Scheele, because so many local governments are authorized to raise money via bonds. The Indiana Bond Bank helps local governments secure various types low-cost financing. According to the 2013 annual report of the current state treasurer, Richard Mourdock, the bond bank issued about $517 million in debt on half of local governments during the 2013 fiscal year. But Seybold’s mixing city business with personal politics is not uncommon, said Scheele, co- director of Ball State University’s Bowen Center for Public Affairs. Companies that work with local governments like Marion have supported political candidates from those governments since the 1800s in Indiana, the political science professor said. “We do not have ‘public funding’ in Indiana political contests, so the dollars must be raised through individuals and companies that want to support a person, particularly if that person already is in office and has ‘hired’ their firm for services,” Scheele said. “This happens at all levels of government, up to the presidency.” James Higgins, treasurer Jim Higgins is a partner in London Witte Group, where he oversees the firm’s governmental services division, which provides financial advice to government units such as that of Marion. He formerly worked for the Indiana State Board of Accounts and the Indiana Bond Bank, according to the London Witte Group website. The certified public accountant did not respond to requests for comment, but Seybold said he asked Higgins to be treasurer based on his “tremendous” experience in the position, citing his work on former lieutenant governor Becky Skillman’s campaigns. “Here’s how that conversation went: ‘Jim, I’d love for you to be my treasurer, but we have to make sure there’s no conflict (of interest),’” Seybold said. “There is none, so he did.” Higgins isn’t the first London Witte Group partner to accept the position of treasurer on one of Seybold’s campaign committees. Robert “Bob” Swintz, the city’s financial adviser, took on the task when Seybold ran for the U.S. House in 2012. Robert Grand, co-chair Grand works in Barnes & Thornburg’s Governmental Services and Finance Department, focusing on public finance and governmental regulation, according to his bio on the firm’s website. His work in the political realm has included serving as administrative assistant to Bob Orr when Orr was lieutenant governor and then governor. Beyond state-level politics, Grand has also served as the Bush-Cheney Finance chairman for Indiana and was a member of the 2000 Bush- Cheney recount team in Florida, according to the Barnes & Thornburg website. “He is a leading GOP fundraiser and adviser to Republicans,” Professor Scheele said. “In a statewide race, of course, on the Republican said, having Bob Grand on your team is very helpful.” Daniel Dumezich, co-chair Dumezich is a partner in Winston & Strawn’s Chicago office, where the international law firm in headquartered. He heads the firm’s federal tax controversy practice and is a certified public accountant, according to the Winston & Strawn website, although state records show his CPA license expired in 1990. The lawyer has been involved with politics since 1995, when he became the first judge of Schererville Town Court in Lake County. Dumezich was a District 15 state representative in the Indiana General Assembly from 1999 to 2002 and was appointed to the Indiana Election Commission by then-governor Mitch Daniels in 2006. He has been chair of the commission since 2010. The same year, Dumezich toured the state, talking to mayors about his considering a run for the U.S. House. That’s when said he recalls first meeting Seybold. They met again in 2012, when Seybold was running for U.S. House District 5 and Dumezich was supporting one of Seybold’s opponents, David McIntosh. “Frankly, I liked what I saw,” Dumezich said of Seybold’s run for House. “If you don’t support people like that, they go off and do other things because they’re well qualified people.” Dumezich has also served as a co-chair on Mitt Romney’s Indiana statewide finance committee and worked on Mitch Daniels’ and Gov. Mike Pence’s campaigns. He said he gets involved with state races when he feels a candidate is particularly well qualified. “I really truly believe that people should get involved with politics only after they’ve accomplished something in their life, something meaningful,” Dumezich said. “I believe that Wayne’s the best candidate for the job, and I’d point to his past record both in and out of politics.”
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 16:22:35 +0000
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