The complaint filed by Catherine Thomas, one of two of Garcia’s challengers in the May primary election, was first heard in April and then postponed a number of times until an Oct. 17 hearing before the body. In her complaint, Thomas accused Garcia of failing to report a $1,200 donation from the East Chicago Firefighters political action committee on his 2019 campaign finance report. “I’ve always believed a person running for office should have some type of integrity, be honest.
Board member Mike Mellon, a Republican, said he found the timing of the filing of the amendment suspect. “Was it done with the knowledge of the complaint being filed?” he asked. He said Garcia admitted he knew the report was inaccurate when it was filed, but then did not filed the amendment for several years. “It’s remarkable the coincidence of it,” Mellon said. He said if any staff members offered that advice to him, it was an egregious error.