NEW: Todd Roktia brought family to “government-funded trip” to the U.S. Southern border
Indiana media issued records requests to find how much Rokita’s culture wars cost taxpayers
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Democratic Party, the organization that advocates for the future of Indiana and its families, called on Attorney General Todd Rokita to reimburse the state after he used taxpayer dollars for a family vacation to the U.S. Southern border. Rokita also used this taxpayer-funded trip to attend a political rally of former president Donald Trump. Todd Rokita’s vacation is another example of the Indiana Republican Party’s culture war agenda on immigration, an effort where politicians like U.S. Senator Todd Young criticized Border Patrol for keeping deadly drugs out of the hands of Americans.
The Indiana Democratic Party fully supports open records requests made by state media, and Democrats call on Rokita to disclose the full cost of this taxpayer-funded political trip.
“Hoosiers should not be held responsible for paying for Todd Rokita’s (political) family vacation. However desperate and self-serving this strategy may be, having taxpayers fund his political trip is an abuse of power and he should reimburse the state immediately,” said Lauren Ganapini, executive director of the Indiana Democratic Party. “Todd Rokita is pursuing a culture war-first agenda because he wants attention for his gubernatorial campaign. Rokita’s trip is yet another reminder to Hoosiers that the Indiana Republican Party will always put their selfish partisanship ahead of a better future for the state.”
Don’t forget: There was an opportunity nine years ago to pass comprehensive immigration reform. The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan bill that would’ve increased security along the border, required a mandatory workplace verification system for employers, installed a visa program for low-skilled workers, and established a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Former U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly voted “YES” on this legislation. The U.S. House – with Todd Rokita representing Indiana’s Fourth District – refused to take up the bipartisan legislation.
Here’s a look at how Todd Rokita’s taxpayer-funded family vacation is playing across Indiana:
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette: “Attorney General Todd Rokita took a state-paid trip last week to the nation’s southern border and stopped at a Donald Trump rally along the way.
He also took his son, according to a post on his official Facebook page, stopping at the historical site of Bill Clinton’s boyhood home on the way back Monday.
Rokita’s office confirmed the trip was paid for by the official office and that he drove.”
Associated Press: Indiana attorney general takes state-paid trip to Texas, Trump rally
“Rokita drove about six hours north for Trump’s rally Saturday in Conroe, Texas, during which the former president mentioned Rokita as “another man who has done a fantastic job.”
On Tuesday, Rokita sent a campaign fundraising email highlighting Trump’s praise at the rally.”
Fox59: “Still, the Indiana Democratic Party is calling on Rokita to reimburse Hoosiers for his travel.”
###
