WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
St. Joseph County Commissioner Dennis Allen has been removed from the county board’s law enforcement committee.
The measure was approved by a 4-3 vote during Tuesday’s board of commissioners meeting.
Commissioner Rusty Baker proposed the motion during “Commissioner Comments.” He said Allen running for sheriff while serving as chair of the law enforcement committee is a conflict of interest.
Allen, who spent 20 years as undersheriff during Matt Lori’s tenure as sheriff, has served as law enforcement committee chairman since joining the county board in 2017. Meanwhile, he announced last May his bid to succeed Mark Lillywhite as St. Joseph County sheriff.
Baker, and commissioners Jared Hoffmaster and Terry Conklin, voted to support the motion. Allen, and commissioners Luis Rosado and Rick Shaffer were opposed. As a result, chairman Ken Malone cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of removal.
Baker alleged Allen used his position as law enforcement chairman to access proprietary records from the sheriff’s department in an effort to bolster his campaign.
Allen recently released on his campaign website a 10-minute YouTube video that includes unflattering information about fellow sheriff’s candidates Jason Bingaman and Chad Spence.
Commissioners will discuss appointing a new law enforcement committee member during their May 14 executive committee meeting.
Commisioner Allen should have voluntarily stepped down as chair due to conflict of interest. Or as the ethics code states: even the appearance of conflict of interest. By voting on the motion, he compounded his disdain for elected officials’ ethics. Commissioners Shaffer and Rosado ignored their responsibilty to uphold their oaths of office by ignoring the conflict ethics with their supporting votes. Another disappointing display of do what I say and not what I do.