Innocent until proven guilty and all of that, but I’m always happy to see crony dealings like this one prosecuted. It’s easy to believe that working hard and playing by the rules is for chumps. And, it may be. Yet, because I keep going the chump route, it’s nice to see the connected types take a bath every once in awhile.
In this case, the allegations are that a broker got a deal with the State to find space in Elkhart County for a DCS office. The broker, in connection with a couple of attorneys and companies they controlled, obtained a building, then leased it to the State. The plan was then to flip the building, increased in value because of the long term lease with the State; though that part of the plan seems to have run into some problems.
The contract with the State said that the broker and his attorney weren’t supposed to have any interest in the leased property — for pretty obvious conflict of interest reasons. The other attorney seems to have taken money from the broker to purchase the building in question.
The part where I guess we might be waiting for another shoe to drop is that former Marion County Prosecutor — friend of Ponzi schemer Tim Durham and criminal defense attorney for our forgetful Secretary of State — was given a 50% ownership stake in the building without putting up any money of his own as a “finder’s fee” for alerting the other attorney to the fact that DCS was seeking rental space. Brizzi was not one of the people named in the recent indictment.
Mr. Brizzi sure has been on the “fringe” of a lot of rather questionable deals. Sure hard to believe at some point he will not be found to have crossed the line. “Sweatheart” deals such as this one is another reason anyone serving in public office gets smeared by the broad paint brush of it all. Wonder how I could get in on a 50% ownership without any money input.
On Twitter, I saw someone joke that they’d be surprised to read about an Indianapolis white collar crime case where Brizzi’s name isn’t mentioned.