Souder sounds off on Stutzman

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP/WANE) -- - Former U.S. Rep. Mark Souder wrote in a message to two northern Indiana Republicans that state Sen. Marlin Stutzman is likely the best qualified candidate to take his place.

NewsChannel 15 confirmed the message was sent via Facebook to Noble County's GOP chairman and the county prosecutor. In the message, Souder predicts that Stutzman will win the caucus.

NewsChannel 15's phone call to Mark Souder was not returned. The former Congressman did confirm with The Journal Gazette that he sent the message and that he considers it private. He described the message as "mostly pro-Marlin Stutzman," but would not comment further.

"Though I am frustrated at Marlin (more in a minute), he's probably best qualified and basically a very good man for all his over aggressive ambition," Souder wrote in the message.

Souder's message seems to offer contradictory statements about the affair with an aide that led him to resign. In one paragraph, he says Stutzman knew nothing of the affair and therefore couldn't have tipped off the media. In another, he mentions that Stutzman or a political consulting firm leaked word of the affair to Fox News after getting information from the staffer's husband, Brad Jackson a Kosciusko County commissioner.

Stutzman has said that he did not know that rumors of the affair were true until Souder admitted it when he resigned last month. Stutzman has said his team did not spread word of the affair and has called any suggestion that his campaign had a role a "smear tactic."

Stutzman agreed to an interview with NewsChannel 15. He said his response to Souder's message is one of confusion and calls it "bizarre."

"[Souder] really needs to focus on his family and really needs to focus on his relationship with his wife and not worry about this stuff right now," Stutzman said.

Also related to Stutzman's campaign for Congress, Souder expressed concerns over Stutzman's relationship with Brad Jackson and private plane rides provided during Stutzman's campaign.

"I warned Brad thru Tracy to make sure it was reported," Souder wrote in the message. "Supposedly Marlin did, but it doesn't look like an in-kind to me (Brad shows up as having given 500 dollars, that doesn't cover it)."

Stutzman stated that his campaign finances have and will be properly disclosed and his campaign has done nothing wrong.

Souder's message predicts that Stutzman will win the caucus, although it says newscaster Ryan Elijah is pressing him. Souder called Fort Wayne City Councilwoman Liz Brown a sleeper pick, but doubted she would get 10 percent of the early vote.

Other GOP hopefuls include state Reps. Wes Culver of Goshen and Randy Borror of Fort Wayne.

Republicans will meet Saturday in Columbia City to pick a candidate for the special election and for the November general election.

Noble County prosecutor Stave Clouse confirmed to NewsChannel 15 that he and the county's GOP Chairman, Randy Kirkpatrick received the Facebook message from Souder. They sent the message to other Republican officials across northeast Indiana, saying it was important to release it so voters in the caucus Saturday have all the information before they choose a candidate to replace Souder on the ballot.

"I really truly believed [forwarding the message to others] was the right thing to do," Clouse said.

Democratic precinct committeemen in the northeastern Indiana district meet June 17 in Fort Wayne to pick a candidate for a special election to fill the rest of Souder's term. Democrat Tom Hayhurst is already on the ballot for the general election.

Both elections are Nov. 2.