Democrat who called for mayor's resignation ousted from caucus

INDIANAPOLIS -- Crista Carlino, a Democrat on the City-County Council and in charge of the committee that oversaw the investigation into sexual harassment allegations lodged against Mayor Joe Hogsett's administration, was ousted from the Democrats' council caucus last night.




But the move wasn't because of her opposition to the mayor.




In calling for Hogsett to step down last week, Carlino announced that an unnamed "architect" working behind the scenes pulled strings to limit the investigation into allegations against former Deputy Mayor Thomas Cook, and then said Council President Vop Osili and Vice President Ali Brown should step aside.

According to a council source, during Tuesday night's Democratic caucus meeting, Carlino was challenged to reveal her evidence that the scope of the Cook investigation was narrowed to shield Hogsett and she failed to do so.




Carlino also claimed that her special Investigations Committee was hampered by a lack of access to witnesses and Cook though other Democrats pushed back, reminding the chairwoman that her committee had the authority to seek testimony from anyone involved.




The source told FOX59/CBS4 that Carlino's call for Hogsett's resignation was not brought up during the caucus and the councilwoman offered no credible defense of her statements.








Carlino alluded to loss of her not-for-profit segment job last year about the same time she was named to lead the Investigations Committee, though a source indicates she lost her position over performance, not political, issues.




Last week Carlino became the fourth councilor to call for Hogsett to resign.




Democrat Jesse Brown is a party outlier, booted from the caucus months go over his opposition to the mayor.




Josh Bain is a Republican.








Andy Nielsen, a Democrat, announced he, too, was opposed to Hogsett's continuation in office and did so after a Chicago law firm issued its report in late May that found the mayor responded appropriately when he discovered that Cook admittedly carried on inappropriate relationships with women linked to the mayor's office and campaign.




Cook has not been charged with a crime.




Tellingly, Nielsen was not booted from the caucus for his resignation call, indicating the Democrats' displeasure with Carlino runs deeper than the politics of the scandal.




One council committee has already approved paying the remainder of the $450,000 owed to Fisher Phillips of Chicago for its investigation without demanding invoices detailing billable hours or the "work product," that is, raw files, of the probe as called for by the city's contract with the attorneys.




(FOX59/CBS4 has submitted an Open Records Act request seeking those invoices.)








Carlino, technically still the chair of her Investigations Committee, could call those councilors back into session to demand answers she said she was denied, defend her statements or continue a council-led investigation.




The full council will consider payment of the remainder of the Fisher Phillips bill in early July.




The law firm issued a statement last week defending its work.




Carlino has not responded to a request for comment.



via: https://fox59.com/indiana-news/democrat-who-called-for-mayors-resignation-ousted-from-caucus/