Fussle Says He Was Asked to Resign After Email Leaked
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Jordan Fouts-
Tension flared again Thursday between County Council President Bob Sanders and Councilman Jon Fussle, whom Sanders accused of making disparaging remarks about other council members on the Internet. Sanders also questioned Fussle’s decision to run for the southern district county commissioner seat, which he said the councilman did not approach him about ahead of time, and remarked on Fussle’s filing only a year after being elected to council. Fussle filed his candidacy Feb. 7 for the May primary but has not made an official announcement. Incumbent Bob Conley also filed for re-election to the southern district seat. Fussle said in an online statement after the meeting that he was asked to withdraw his candidacy for commissioner or resign from council. At the end of Thursday’s meeting, Sanders first raised the issue of a phrase Fussle used in an email to friends and family announcing his candidacy, saying he was “proud to be the antithesis of the typical politician.” Sanders said that, after looking up the meaning of the word “antithesis,” he took offense at it. “It’s almost like you’re saying you don’t agree with us as a group or as individuals,” he told Fussle. Fussle responded that his remark was not aimed at anyone on council. “I’m not putting you guys in that category,” he said Thursday. “But you are,” Sanders replied. “Every one of us felt that council was being discredited or not doing the job as you feel we should be doing it.” Councilman Larry Teghtmeyer also remarked on the contrast he and Sanders perceived Fussle as drawing between “politicians” and “statesmen” in the email. “I take offense at that. I’ve been in this business 33 years and I don’t consider myself a politician,” Teghtmeyer said. Sanders also observed during the exchange, “You talk a lot about your experiences, but you missed five of the last 13 meetings. You don’t get a lot of experience that way.” Fussle again told Sanders he did not specify anybody on council in the email, and said he respects Sanders and likes him personally. But he recounted his experiences as a councilman beginning when he was “chastised behind closed doors” at the first meeting and admitted he has since felt ostracized. Sanders said he didn’t consider it chastisement but advice. “I apologize if anybody was offended,” Fussle told council. “It was not meant for you, it was meant for my opponent.” “Then name your opponent,” Sanders responded. He also wished Fussle luck in his campaign, but remarked that he made a commitment to council and asked where he would stop if another position opened up after seeking the commissioner seat. Fussle said after the meeting that the email was leaked and was not meant to be public. He also addressed running for commissioners, which he ran for and lost four years ago: “I've struggled with leaving the voters without elected representation in my council seat once I leave, but my passion for serving and specific skill set are best utilized serving Kosciusko as a commissioner. From the first day I realized I wanted to become a public servant, that was the job I wanted.” Sanders said this morning that someone sent him the email but he did not know where that person got it. Fussle wrote in the email that in his time on council, “I've made transparency and communication my hallmark. ... This has lead to a sometimes rough experience on the council, but I'm proud to be the antithesis of the typical politician.” He also claimed in the email that “my opponent has warned me that he is going to run a very, very dirty campaign,” and asked supporters to pray for him and wife Katye. “Our opponent professes to be a Christian and is a deacon at his church, but Satan has used him in the past to tear Katye and I down and apart.” Conley said by phone this morning that the “dirty campaign” claim “is news to me. I didn’t know that. During his last campaign, he said the same thing. ... That’s devastating to hear. I’m very shaken by that.” He added he considers his own previous two campaigns for commissioner to be above-board. In a statement accompanying the full text of the email on his website, jonfussle.com, Fussle said, “In response to my decision to run in this upcoming election, I have been asked to either withdraw from the race for county commissioner or resign from the county council. That is, unequivocally, not going to happen.”
