(La Porte County, IN) - The La Porte County Auditor is defending himself against claims of incompetence by a political figure he alleged is part of the local democrat party machine.

 

As portrayed in the written copy, Tim Stabosz said the words denouncing him in a press release were not from Dr. Vidya Kora.

 

“I can assure you it was written by the shadow head of the Democratic Party which is Shaw Friedman,” Stabosz alleged.

Stabosz said an honest mistake in the property tax billing by his office is being used to make him look bad and intimidate him into stopping making allegations of wrongdoing by Friedman and his “puppets” in the county government.

 

Friedman is suing Stabosz for defamation of character in a lawsuit filed last year over Stabosz alleging Friedman runs county government by controlling elected officials.

 

Kora is a former La Porte County Commissioner and now chairman of the La Porte County Democrat Party.

 

Stabosz accused Kora of being one of the puppets whose most recent task was issuing a press release authored by Friedman.

 

“God bless Vidya, but he’s a crony of Shaw Friedman. He’s an enabler of the type of politics and corruption, frankly, that La Porte County is legendary for,” Stabosz said.

Stabosz also said the morale of county employees is good because he and La Porte County Commissioner Joe Haney are fighting for them and the fear they have with political figures in control.

 

Friedman has consistently denounced Stabosz in strongly denying his claims of running county government or committing any sort of wrongdoing.

 

Friedman has also criticized Stabosz often for continuning to make such allegations without presenting a shred of evidence.

 

Kora said he is friends with Friedman and other political figures, but that doesn’t mean “anybody is anybody’s puppet.” Kora said he’s not one and has no need to be one.

 

“I’m very comfortable with who I am, and I don’t need to be anybody’s puppet. My life speaks for itself,” Kora said.