Carroll County Sheriff, deputies named in Civil Tort

Two Carroll County women have filed a Civil Tort against the Carroll County Board of Elections calling for an investigation into government and law enforcement officers claiming they violated the Federal Hatch Act.

Sue Wright and Angela Sadlowski filed the claim in Carroll Circuit Court on May 6. In the suit they state, “We are calling for an investigation of the Carroll County Board of Elections, Carroll County Sheriff (sic) Office, Sheriff Tobe Leazenby, sheriff candidate Tony Liggett, the Flora Volunteer Fire Department, Financial Builders Federal Credit Union, and municipal employees of Carroll County for engaging in political activity prohibited by State and Federal law. We allege that Tobe Leazenby, Tony Liggett, and municipal employees of Carroll County have committed numerous ethical, state, and federal violations related to a partisan primary election, including violations of Indiana Code IC 3-14-1-17 and the Federal Hatch Act.”

The Hatch Act, a federal law passed in 1939, limits federal employee involvement in partisan political activity. Partisan political activity is any activity directed toward the success or failure of a partisan candidate, political party, or partisan political group.

Indiana Code IC 3-14-1-17 states, “government employee(s) may not knowingly or intentionally use the property of the employee’s government employer to do any of the following: (1) Solicit a contribution. (2) Advocate the election or defeat of a candidate. (3) Advocate the approval or defeat of a public question. (e) A government employee may not knowingly or intentionally distribute campaign materials advocating: (1) the election or defeat of a candidate; or (2) the approval or defeat of a public question; on the government employer’s real property during regular working hours.”

The women claim that on or around April 1, Leazenby and Sheriff Candidate Detective Tony Liggett violated Indiana Code by publicly endorsing and advocating for the election of a candidate in the primary election using “the money, equipment, goods, and materials (including mail and messaging systems of (his) government employer.”

It is purported that the Carroll County Comet posted an advertisement on its website for “Tony Liggett for Sheriff.” The newspaper listed the advertiser at the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and listed the advertiser’s contact information as belonging to Leazenby.

The Tort claims that Leazenby, Liggett, and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department purchased an advertisement for a candidate in the primary election utilizing a government employer’s phone number, physical address, and email.

The Tort also claims that in the month preceding the May 2022 primary election, the Sheriff’s office, Leazenby, Liggett, and numerous officers in Carroll County “used their official titles and/or positions as law enforcement officer while publicly campaigning, endorsing, and advocating for the election of Liggett for Sheriff.

Included in the violations are Darron Giancola, Justin Wilson, Ty Stinson, Josh Disinger (retired), Steven Tkachuk, Mitch Catron, Jason Cree, Colin Deckard, Jensyn Reef, Drew Yoder, Mike Hobbs, Cory Banes, Paul Redmon (retired), Clint McLeland, Spencer Kingery, Shane Bernhardt, Chuck Kent, Ale Parkinson, James Bishop, Steve Catron, Michael Fincher, Jared Beaver, Randy Larimore (retired), Jerry Holeman, AJ Smith, Jerrad Foutch, Tyler Bentlage, David Vito, Mitch McKinney, Dan Dulin, Todd Pekny, Jarred Coffing, and Jordan Wagner.

Leazenby is purported to have violated the Federal Hatch Act by utilizing “agency resources to advance Tony Liggett’s candidacy; and by encouraging, suggesting, or implying that subordinate employees support Tony Liggett’s campaign for Carroll County Sheriff (coercion).”

Wright and Sadlowski allege Leazenby’s actions created the impression that Liggett was running for sheriff in an official capacity, “with the authority of Sheriff Tobe Leazenby and the agency behind him.”

Despite the ongoing litigation, the Carroll County Election certified the results of the election. Liggett won the nod for Sheriff by 51.51% of the vote.

Leazenby, Liggett, Wright, nor Sadlowski were able to be reached by press time.