Election Board Takes No Action Against Whitko Candidates
Staff Report
WARSAW – Kosciusko County Election Board reviewed claims of impropriety on Monday concerning four candidates for Whitko School board and took no action.
The board reviewed allegations that four board members had not properly filled out campaign finance forms for the 2020 campaign. Those include Bill Patrick, Lynn Studebaker, Tracy Howard and Annette Arnold.
In all of the cases, none of the candidates exceeded the $500 threshold for a school board candidate that would require a listing of expenditures.
Allegations of improper filing were made by a constituent, Matt Gaff, and span election activities in 2018 and 2020.
Studebaker filed an amended report to include in-kind donations.
“If there are errors, they are harmless errors,” said Election Board member Randy Girod, who also thanked them for seeking to run for office in what is often considered a “thankless job.”
There was an additional allegation that a group of constituents had formed a political action committee after creating an LLC, but officials determined it did not meet the definition of a PAC.
Cory Schipper said he organized the group, Whitko Community Concerned Taxpayer, for residents to discuss and support school activities. He said the group is still active.