I do not write about Carmel often because my blog is mostly focused on Fishers.  However, I want to write about a particular issue because a friend of mine is part of the story, and I want this to be a lesson to anyone formulating any chicanery in our Fishers city election.

The February 9th edition of the Hamilton County Reporter (full disclosure:  I have a news gathering partnership with the Reporter) has a front page story about something that has happened in connection with the upcoming Carmel city election.

Based on the story in the Reporter, Carmel City Council candidate Adam Aasen held a campaign event that was attended by Mayor Jim Brainaird.  Candidate Aasen penned a thank you note to the mayor for attending that event, and gave support for Brainard’s re-election.

According to the Reporter story, that thank-you note was posted on the Internet Friday morning.  The Reporter says Aasen’s thank-you note was taken from Brainard’s personal trash, which apparently was not on the street but still on the mayor’s personal property.

I will be the first to tell you that I have no idea what the legal issues are here and will leave that alone in this piece.  But there is something I want to make clear.

I know Adam Aasen because we co-hosted a weekly film podcast for about 18 months.  We put the podcast on hiatus last September largely because Adam was considering a run for Carmel City Council.  I consider Adam to be a friend.

When you work closely with someone over a period of time, you get to know a lot about that person.  Let me tell you about Adam Aasen.

Adam and I agree on some issues and disagree on others.  But I learned that Adam is no one’s rubber stamp.  He supports Mayor Brainard’s bid for another term, but that does not mean Adam will agree with the incumbent mayor on every issue.  He will weigh every matter before the council on whether it is good for the city as a whole and his district in particular.  That is the Adam Aasen I know.

So if people make the argument that Adam will be taking orders from Jim Brainard, that is not true.  He generally supports the mayor and is backing his re-election bid, but that does not translate into total loyalty.

Some people in Carmel are starting to call this incident “trashgate.”  Speaking for myself only, I’m more than a little tired of people taking every allegation of a scandal and adding “gate” on the end of it.

I know nothing about Adam’s primary election opponent and take no position on any election in Carmel.  Let’s just say I can vouch for Adam’s integrity, and that will be all I have to say.

For Fishers, I hope all the candidates derive a lesson from this tale.  It is best to keep your campaign clean – no trash, please.

Update: The story in the Reporter appeared to say that the note in question may have been stolen from Mayor Brainard’s personal trash.   Now, Ann Marie Shambaugh of Current in Carmel reports that Carmel Clerk-Treasurer Christine Pauley said she “accidentally” found a thank you note a city council candidate sent to Mayor Jim Brainard in a trash can at City Hall.  You can read her story at this link