Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton County Democratic Chairman Joe Weingarten has questioned the appointment of Lisa Charles as the county’s Veterans Service Officer by the Hamilton County Commissioners.

Weingarten

In a statement provided to the Reporter, Weingarten said, “As both a veteran and Chair of the Hamilton County Democratic Party I am dismayed but not surprised that the County Commissioners failed to follow law in the appointment of the County Veteran Service Officer.”

According to Weingarten, Indiana law requires a Veteran Service Officer to reside in the state for five years.

“It appears that Ms. Charles has only lived in the state for a few years, having moved here from California in 2018, and state law requires anyone appointed to this position to have lived in the state for five years,” said Weingarten. “This is the second violation in a row by the Commissioners in this type of appointment. The previous CVSO also did not meet legal requirements for the position.”

The recommendation to appoint Charles came from a three-member committee, which included Mark Smith, District Service Officer for the Indiana Department for Veterans Affairs. Smith served as an independent person and assisted with the interviewing process that resulted in the recommendation to appoint Charles.

“As veterans, we swore an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” said Weingarten. “The commissioners also swore an oath to ‘support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Indiana’.”

The Commissioners have said they are aware of the concerns and stated, “We want to ensure that we have the most qualified person to assist our veterans, and if the appointment was not correct, we will take corrective measures.”