Sec. of State Morales Barred from Election Services Center

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales has been barred from the nonpublic areas of the Marion County election services center.

The Marion County Election Board confirmed this to News 8’s Garrett Bergquist on Friday.

The board’s vote came after Morales’ reelection campaign used a video of him speaking with a Marion County election worker on Nov. 5, 2024, as part of a campaign ad released the following May. In a lengthy statement in response to the board, Morales’ campaign said the video was shot during a visit he made in his official capacity as the state’s chief election officer.

Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell, a Democrat, told News 8 on Friday afternoon the election workers never consented to being filmed. Moreover, she said reusing video shot in an official capacity for political purposes violates election regulations. Bell said the whole situation could have been avoided if Morales had simply taken the video down when her office asked him to do so.

“He used government resources in a political campaign ad,” she said. “I don’t know in any state or municipality where that is allowed. You can’t use the government’s equipment for your own political purposes.”

Bell said the board voted to refer the matter to the state Office of the Inspector General and the State Ethics Commission. She said the board does not have the authority to levy any further punishments. The board consists of one Republican and one Democrat, plus Democrat Bell. She said all of the board’s votes on Friday concerning Morales were unanimous.

Morales called the move “meritless” accused the election board of acting outside its jurisdiction.

“Secretary Morales will not be intimidated by a local board’s attempt to exceed its statutory
authority and conduct a taxpayer-funded political fishing expedition. The law is clear, the facts
are undisputed, and neither supports the Board’s position.

For these reasons, Secretary Morales respectfully requests that the Marion County Election
Board terminate this matter immediately and refrain from further proceedings outside its lawful
jurisdiction.”
Diego for Indiana

A campaign spokesperson for Morales told News 8 the response to the investigation was sent to the election board on Thursday.

Bell said, contrary to the campaign’s assertion, the board never received any correspondence from Morales on the matter.