State Election Panel Won't Rule On Nisly Complaint Until December
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
The Times-Union contacted the election commission Tuesday.
Valerie Kroeger, Indiana Secretary of State communication director, said in an e-mail the complaint was submitted to the Indiana Election Commission. At its last meeting, election commission members asked election division staff to gather additional information for review before they make any decision.
The election commission will review the information at its next meeting, which is scheduled for December.
Kolbe filed the complaint against Nisly in August.
Kolbe alleged in the complaint that Nisly’s company, C-Tech Solutions Inc., secured a contract to design and possibly maintain the website for the Elkhart County clerk’s office.
The complaint alleges that the website does not display proper information for the clerk’s office and does mention the clerk by name. The site also included direct links to C-Tech and Nisly’s campaign website, Facebook, blog and donation platform.
Kolbe also claimed that Nisly’s C-Tech website said that the business designed his campaign website, but Nisly’s pre-primary campaign finance report states HS Enterprises LLC designed the site.
Kolbe’s complaint alleges that HS Enterprises is not a registered LLC with the Indiana secretary of state and that HS Enterprises is run by the general manager of C-Tech Solutions.
Wendy Hudson, Elkhart County Clerk, submitted a letter to the Indiana Election Division dated Sept. 10.
In the letter Hudson said she contacted the Elkhart County IT Department to see if anything Kolbe alleged is true.
The IT Department said the hosting provider could access Google analytics to see where traffic to the website is coming from.
However, the information would be general logistical data of where the individual lives. The info also showed frequency of visits to the website, the busiest hours and number of repeat visitors.
In a letter to the Indiana election division Nisly denied the allegations raised by Kolbe and said there is no merit to the complaint.
Nisly said at no time was there a direct link from the Elkhart County clerk website to the campaign website, CurtNisly.com or to the campaign Facebook page.
He said there is no relationship between C-Tech Solutions Inc. and the technology to operate vote centers in Elkhart County. Nisly said there is no impropriety and no conflict of interest.
According to information provided by the Elkhart County clerk, during September 2013, C-Tech Solutions had discussions with the Elkhart County Clerk’s office about website design.
On Oct. 3, C-Tech had a mock up of the proposed website ready for the Elkhart County clerk, Work on the website continued and in the first week of December C-Tech invoiced the Elkhart County clerk for the website design.
Nisly filed his declaration of candidacy on Jan. 21.
There was a functioning link from the website designed for the Elkhart County clerk to C-Tech Solutions Inc.
Hudson said this was a standard advertising link. Hudson informed Nisly by telephone on Aug. 13 that the link had to be broken at once.
Nisly informed his staff of the need to sever the website link and on Aug. 14 his staff notified him the link had been disabled.[[In-content Ad]]
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The Times-Union contacted the election commission Tuesday.
Valerie Kroeger, Indiana Secretary of State communication director, said in an e-mail the complaint was submitted to the Indiana Election Commission. At its last meeting, election commission members asked election division staff to gather additional information for review before they make any decision.
The election commission will review the information at its next meeting, which is scheduled for December.
Kolbe filed the complaint against Nisly in August.
Kolbe alleged in the complaint that Nisly’s company, C-Tech Solutions Inc., secured a contract to design and possibly maintain the website for the Elkhart County clerk’s office.
The complaint alleges that the website does not display proper information for the clerk’s office and does mention the clerk by name. The site also included direct links to C-Tech and Nisly’s campaign website, Facebook, blog and donation platform.
Kolbe also claimed that Nisly’s C-Tech website said that the business designed his campaign website, but Nisly’s pre-primary campaign finance report states HS Enterprises LLC designed the site.
Kolbe’s complaint alleges that HS Enterprises is not a registered LLC with the Indiana secretary of state and that HS Enterprises is run by the general manager of C-Tech Solutions.
Wendy Hudson, Elkhart County Clerk, submitted a letter to the Indiana Election Division dated Sept. 10.
In the letter Hudson said she contacted the Elkhart County IT Department to see if anything Kolbe alleged is true.
The IT Department said the hosting provider could access Google analytics to see where traffic to the website is coming from.
However, the information would be general logistical data of where the individual lives. The info also showed frequency of visits to the website, the busiest hours and number of repeat visitors.
In a letter to the Indiana election division Nisly denied the allegations raised by Kolbe and said there is no merit to the complaint.
Nisly said at no time was there a direct link from the Elkhart County clerk website to the campaign website, CurtNisly.com or to the campaign Facebook page.
He said there is no relationship between C-Tech Solutions Inc. and the technology to operate vote centers in Elkhart County. Nisly said there is no impropriety and no conflict of interest.
According to information provided by the Elkhart County clerk, during September 2013, C-Tech Solutions had discussions with the Elkhart County Clerk’s office about website design.
On Oct. 3, C-Tech had a mock up of the proposed website ready for the Elkhart County clerk, Work on the website continued and in the first week of December C-Tech invoiced the Elkhart County clerk for the website design.
Nisly filed his declaration of candidacy on Jan. 21.
There was a functioning link from the website designed for the Elkhart County clerk to C-Tech Solutions Inc.
Hudson said this was a standard advertising link. Hudson informed Nisly by telephone on Aug. 13 that the link had to be broken at once.
Nisly informed his staff of the need to sever the website link and on Aug. 14 his staff notified him the link had been disabled.[[In-content Ad]]
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