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  • 7/16/26 - Carter on Noel investigation, Utility profits investigated, Braun ends race preferences

    7/16/26 - Carter on Noel investigation, Utility profits investigated, Braun ends race preferences
    2026/07/16
    Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show opens with Rob examining new campaign finance reports in the Indiana Secretary of State race. Rob says Greg Ballard’s fundraising is the biggest surprise because Ballard raised more than $671,000 in the quarter despite not yet being on the ballot. He argues that number shows Ballard is not just trying to reach 10% for Lincoln Party ballot access, but is attempting to become a serious statewide contender. Rob compares Ballard’s fundraising to Beau Bayh and Max Engling, noting that Bayh raised more than $557,000 for the quarter while Engling brought in just over $202,000. He says Bayh still has major institutional advantages and a large overall fundraising total, but Ballard’s organic support is more impressive because it came without a party structure behind him. Rob also warns that Libertarian Lori Shilling’s low fundraising total could put Libertarian ballot access at risk if protest voters shift toward Ballard instead. The discussion also turns to Diego Morales continuing to receive campaign donations after losing the Republican nomination. Rob questions why donors, including people from outside Indiana, would keep giving money to someone who will not remain Secretary of State after this year. He says the small-dollar donations from out-of-state contributors are especially strange and deserve more scrutiny. Another segment focuses on a major court ruling involving Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, the Indiana Department of Revenue, and a tax investigation into Broad Ripple bar owner Robert Sabatini. Rob says Judge Clark Rogers’ filing alleges the prosecutor’s office and state revenue officials conducted an unjustified fishing expedition into Broad Ripple businesses without evidence of criminal activity. He argues that if the allegations are proven, Mears should face serious professional consequences. Rob says the ruling is frightening for small business owners because it suggests confidential tax records were accessed without a warrant, probable cause, or even a clear suspicion of wrongdoing. He says the case damaged Sabatini’s reputation and shows how dangerous government power becomes when officials can target businesses first and justify the investigation later. Rob argues the story should receive statewide attention because it erodes public trust in prosecutors, revenue officials, and the rule of law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 時間 58 分
  • 7/16/26 - Statehouse Happenings: Goodrich Appointment as Commerce Secretary Sparks Backlash

    7/16/26 - Statehouse Happenings: Goodrich Appointment as Commerce Secretary Sparks Backlash
    2026/07/16
    Mike Braun introduced former State Representative Chuck Goodrich as Indiana's new Commerce Secretary. Goodrich quickly declared he would not be stepping down as the CEO of Gaylor Electric, despite his new leadership position in state government. The announcement immediately raised red flags as Gaylor Electric helps build data centers, which have been a major focus of incentives from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, which Goodrich will oversee. Rob Kendall, Jim Merritt, and Abdul-Hakim Shabazz discuss the controversial appointment of and refusal to step down by Goodrich on this week's Statehouse Happenings. You can find more information at RobKendallShow.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    28 分
  • 7/15/26 - New IEDC drama, Indy's massive data center incentives, Ballard makes the ballot

    7/15/26 - New IEDC drama, Indy's massive data center incentives, Ballard makes the ballot
    2026/07/15
    Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show opens with Rob breaking down Greg Ballard officially turning in 41,299 verified signatures for his independent Secretary of State run. Rob says Ballard cleared the required 36,943-signature threshold by roughly 12%, which is an extraordinary accomplishment given how difficult Indiana makes ballot access for anyone outside the Republican and Democratic parties. He argues Ballard’s campaign cracked a code that has kept regular people and independent candidates locked out for decades. Rob says the real importance of Ballard’s run is not just whether he wins, but whether he gets the Lincoln Party to 10% and earns primary ballot access. He argues that 2% would give the party general election access, but 10% would be the true breakthrough because it would put Lincoln Party candidates on primary ballots and give them taxpayer-subsidized visibility. Rob says Ballard’s strongest message should be that he is running for voters themselves by creating a new path for people shut out by the two-party system. The discussion also critiques Ballard’s presentation at the Statehouse. Rob says the signature turn-in was professional and dignified, but missed a chance to become a larger media moment that could have grabbed statewide attention. He argues Ballard now needs sharper messaging focused on two themes: Republican corruption tied to Diego Morales and the idea that voting for Ballard is a vote to open the system for more Hoosiers. Another segment focuses on Chuck Goodrich being named Indiana Secretary of Commerce and head of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. Rob says the appointment is troubling because Goodrich remains CEO of Gaylor Electric, a company that says data center construction has been a major part of its business growth. Rob argues it is an obvious conflict for someone whose company works on data centers to oversee incentives and economic development decisions that could involve data centers and major construction projects. Rob says the Goodrich appointment shows the IEDC has not been fixed, despite years of concern over corruption, insider dealing, and taxpayer-funded corporate incentives. He argues Governor Mike Braun spent public money auditing the IEDC and replacing its board, only to put someone with clear business overlap in charge of the same incentive system. Rob says lawmakers and media outlets should be demanding answers, because the situation reinforces the same culture that allowed figures like Diego Morales to operate without real accountability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    3 時間 2 分
  • 7/14/26 - Gentry defends referendum and LEAP, Bayh donor contract ban, Indy weighs data center ban

    7/14/26 - Gentry defends referendum and LEAP, Bayh donor contract ban, Indy weighs data center ban
    2026/07/14
    Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show opens with Rob covering Indianapolis’ move toward pausing new data center development. The Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee voted 10 to 3 to recommend a moratorium through December 2027, sending the proposal to the full City-County Council. Rob says the timing may be politically convenient ahead of the next mayoral and council elections, but argues the pause is still a good thing because local governments do not yet understand the full financial, infrastructure, and utility impact of these projects. Rob says the basic math on data centers still does not make sense to the public. He argues that while billion-dollar facilities sound attractive on paper, long-term abatements, sales tax exemptions, and minimal job creation mean many communities may not see the payoff for decades, if ever. He says the state and local governments need to explain exactly why taxpayers are subsidizing these developments and how they benefit the communities taking on the risk. The discussion also focuses on the need for statewide guardrails before more data centers are approved. Rob says power, water, utility rates, and tax incentives do not stop at city or county lines, so Indiana needs a broader policy framework instead of letting every community make it up as they go. He says the state should establish a minimum floor for transparency and community benefit, while still allowing local governments to adopt stricter rules if they choose. The show also turns to Beau Bayh’s new pledge in the Secretary of State race. Bayh says that if elected, campaign staffers will be barred from contacting state employees about state business, and he will not award Secretary of State contracts to campaign donors. Rob says this is a direct shot at Diego Morales and a smart campaign move because it keeps Republican corruption in the office at the center of the race, regardless of who Republicans nominate. Rob says Bayh’s pledge also puts pressure on Republican nominee Max Engling, especially because Engling has received support from Marty Obst’s Hoosier Leadership for America, a dark money group that does not disclose its donors. The discussion also notes Bayh’s ties to fundraiser Emily Gurwitz, whose firm was paid by Bayh’s campaign and who has been connected in reporting to questions around Joe Hogsett donors and city contracts. Rob argues the Secretary of State race is shaping up around transparency, corruption, donor influence, and whether voters will finally punish Republicans for what happened under Diego Morales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    3 時間 3 分
  • 7/13/26 - Bostock from Jamey Noel docu joins us, Indy proposes data center ban, Graham death mystery

    7/13/26 - Bostock from Jamey Noel docu joins us, Indy proposes data center ban, Graham death mystery
    2026/07/13
    Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show opens with Rob previewing a discussion of Jamey Noel, the former Clark County sheriff and Republican power broker now in prison. Rob points to a new WHAS11 documentary, Tarnished Badge: The Jamey Noel Story, as a detailed look at Noel’s abuse of power, political influence, and taxpayer-funded corruption. He says the biggest question is how someone so publicly connected to Indiana’s political elite could live so far beyond his means for so long without people around him asking obvious questions. Rob says the Noel story fits a broader pattern of powerful Indiana officials acting brazenly because they do not fear accountability. He compares the situation to Diego Morales, noting that the issue is not that the circumstances are identical, but that both involve obvious behavior that people in power ignored or enabled. Rob argues the political system protects insiders until the evidence becomes impossible to avoid. The discussion also turns to the power of Indiana sheriffs and the lack of oversight around them. Rob says the Noel case, along with cases involving sheriffs like Tom Kleinhelter, shows the state needs serious reform in how sheriffs are monitored and held accountable. He argues both parties tolerate corruption when it benefits their own power structures, pointing to Republicans in state government and Democrats in Indianapolis as examples of officials avoiding accountability. Rob also highlights Greg Ballard preparing to turn in more than 41,000 verified signatures for his independent Secretary of State campaign. Rob says the achievement is one of the most significant political moments in Indiana history because it could open ballot access for the Lincoln Party and give more people a path outside the Republican-Democrat system. He argues Republicans were arrogantly wrong when they dismissed Ballard’s chances of making the ballot, and that their reaction shows how much they want to control who can participate. Another segment focuses on Indianapolis City-County Council President Maggie Lewis proposing a pause on new data center development in the city. Rob says the move is a major step because it creates time to study utility capacity, infrastructure demands, environmental concerns, economic outcomes, and neighborhood impact before more projects move forward. He says he is not anti-data center, but argues Indiana needs statewide guardrails because these projects affect power, water, taxes, and communities far beyond the city or town where they are built. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 時間 59 分
  • 7/10/26 - What Krupp actually does, Stutzman demands McConnell answers, Trump wants birthright redo

    7/10/26 - What Krupp actually does, Stutzman demands McConnell answers, Trump wants birthright redo
    2026/07/10
    Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show opens with Rob reacting to Jacob Stewart’s IndyStar column arguing that it is too easy to form a political party in Indiana. Rob strongly disagrees, saying Greg Ballard’s independent Secretary of State campaign proves the opposite because Ballard needed money, organization, volunteers, and a major signature operation just to get on the ballot. He argues Indiana’s ballot access laws are designed to protect Republicans and Democrats while shutting out independent-minded voters and candidates. Rob says Ballard “cracked the code” by raising enough money and building enough infrastructure to get the signatures needed for ballot access. He explains that if Ballard’s Lincoln Party gets 2% in the Secretary of State race, it can nominate candidates for future general elections, but 10% is the real prize because it would earn primary ballot access. Rob says that would create a major shift in Indiana politics by giving more voters and candidates a way around the two-party system. The discussion also looks at how Rob is weighing the Secretary of State race. He says the most important goal is making sure Republicans lose the office so Diego Morales’ conduct does not get swept under the rug. Rob says he could see himself voting for Ballard if Ballard has a real chance to reach 10%, but could also vote for Beau Bayh if Bayh becomes the clearest path to taking the office away from Republicans. Another segment focuses on WRTV’s reporting on former Department of Child Services director Adam Krupp, who left that role and then reappeared as a special adviser to Governor Mike Braun at the same $210,000 salary. Rob says the job appears vague, was not publicly posted, and allows Krupp to work fully remote despite Braun’s return-to-work push for state employees. He argues the duties described so far sound like basic research, meetings, and clerical work that do not justify that salary. Rob says the Krupp situation undercuts Braun’s image as a government reformer. He argues the state keeps claiming it lacks money for vulnerable Hoosiers, including families caring for severely disabled loved ones, while still finding large salaries for politically connected insiders. Rob praises Kara Kenney’s reporting and says taxpayers deserve to know why Krupp disappeared, what he is actually doing now, and why that position should exist at all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    3 時間
  • 7/9/26 - Braun guts transparency, Bayh's running against Diego, Trump says Iran wants him gone

    7/9/26 - Braun guts transparency, Bayh's running against Diego, Trump says Iran wants him gone
    2026/07/09
    Today’s episode of The Rob Kendall Show opens with Rob arguing that Indiana’s gas tax suspension proves Hoosiers have been overtaxed for years. He says the state is now giving back money it never needed to take in the first place, with the suspension saving drivers about 61 cents per gallon. Rob argues government officials frame this as a loss for the state, but it is really taxpayers getting some of their own money back. Rob says the state is expected to give up more than half a billion dollars in gas tax revenue through October while still absorbing the cost and reimbursing local governments. To him, that proves Indiana’s government has far more money than it needs for basic operations. He argues the “surplus” is really overtaxation, and that Republicans are only suspending the tax now because high gas prices under Trump and renewed conflict with Iran are politically damaging. The discussion also criticizes Republican leaders for claiming they need yet another long-term road funding solution. Rob points out that many of the same officials supported the 2017 gas tax increase, which was sold as the long-term fix, and then passed another road funding bill last year. He says the problem is not a lack of revenue, but the government’s failure to manage and allocate the money it already takes from taxpayers. Another segment focuses on the Thomas Carl Cook scandal and the continued failure of Indianapolis officials to reform how workplace misconduct complaints are handled. Rob says Cook, a powerful figure in Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration and campaign operation, was accused of inappropriate relationships involving people connected to his power structure. Even after outside investigators recommended complaints be handled outside the mayor’s control, the City-County Council still has not created an independent process. Rob argues Hogsett’s stated concern about protecting victims’ privacy is an excuse to keep control over sensitive complaints. He says public records experts and existing executive-session rules show there are ways to protect complainants while still creating an independent review system. Rob says the lack of action reflects a broader problem in Indianapolis politics: Republicans are ineffective, most Democrats are afraid to challenge Hogsett, and only a few voices like Jesse Brown are willing to confront the power structure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    2 時間 54 分
  • 7/9/26 - Statehouse Happenings: Braun's Redistricting Backtrack

    7/9/26 - Statehouse Happenings: Braun's Redistricting Backtrack
    2026/07/09
    In an interview conducted weeks ago, Governor Mike Braun indicated his primary reason for calling a special session and attempting to ram redistricting through the General Assembly was fear of retribution from the White House. The comments appeared to match Braun's original warning from last winter which he later recanted. In light of the governor's newest commentary, many are once again asking what projects or funding was the governor worried about losing? Rob Kendall, Abdul-Hakim Shabazz, and Jim Merritt examine on this week's Statehouse Happenings. You can find more information at RobKendallShow.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 分