By Stan Lehr
11/16/2009
The Libertarian Party of Indiana is asking the Marion County Prosecutor to investigate potentially illegal political activity by Smoke Free Indy, the coalition seeking a full ban on smoking in public places.
Listen:
A Smoke Free Indy spokesman calls it a "specious and false attack" of a kind often encountered in the campaign for a smoke-free environment.
There has been no response from the office of Prosecutor Carl Brizzi.
State Libertian Party Chairman Timothy Maguire says, "Normally these kind of things would not bother us." He is concerned, he says, because of the involvment of public funding received by the coalition's member organizations. That raises the possibility of a violation of the federal Hatch Act, prohibiting the use of public funds for political activities.
Smoke Free Indy's Tim Filler says the group doesn't tell member groups how to spend their money. And he says a non-profit organization is subject to that restriction only "if the appropriating legislation at the state level specifically says it is bound by the Hatch Act." And, he says, the act provides that individuals are free to engage in political activity on their own time.
Filler denies that his organization is engaged in political activity anyway. The Libertarians object to criticisms posted to Smoke Free Indy's blog. Filler, the author of the entries, says he was only calling attention to what he sees as a contradiction in the party's opposition to a full ban.
The City County Council votes November 30th on a proposal to extend Marion County's limited ban on smoking to all public places.
|