Casey Smith, Indiana Capital Chronicle

Newly-unsealed court documents reveal a former Hoosier congressional candidate’s arrest and ongoing criminal case are connected to allegations of online threats and harassment he made against Indianapolis-based political commentator Abdul-Hakim Shabazz

Gabriel “Gabe” Whitley was arrested on a felony charge in August after Indianapolis police received a complaint that he was “stalking” Shabazz on social media, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Shabazz, who made the report, said he was covering an FBI search warrant of Whitley’s home when the former political candidate “began encouraging violence against him by way of X (Twitter) posts,” the affidavit said. ...

Former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel pleaded guilty to 27 of 31 felony charges in court Monday as part of a plea deal in a massive corruption case that could land him in prison for more than a decade.

Noel, a prominent Hoosier Republican, was charged with more than two dozen felonies for allegedly misusing money from the fire and EMS departments which he oversaw.

A plea agreement submitted to the Clark County Circuit Court shows Noel agreed to plead guilty to charges of theft, money laundering, corrupt business influence, official misconduct, obstruction of justice and tax evasion. ...

Pence came to town to talk about the economy but Trump’s latest legal crisis pulled focus from that.

The former president was indicted on felony charges Tuesday for working to overturn the results of the 2020 election, just before the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Pence, a 2024 presidential hopeful, issued a condemning statement in response to the federal conspiracy charges late Tuesday, saying Trump “should not be president of the United States.” ...

Lucas, of Seymour, pleaded guilty last week to two misdemeanors — operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident — after he struck a guardrail and drove the wrong way on an interstate entrance ramp while intoxicated.

The latest body and dash camera footage obtained by the Indiana Capital Chronicle from the Indiana State Police captured multiple failed sobriety tests performed by Lucas, who struggled to walk in a straight line or balance himself on one leg. A portable breathalyzer test showed his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at .097 — higher than the .08 legal limit in Indiana.

After he was placed under arrest, Lucas was cooperative and chatty with officers. ...

Indiana lawmakers narrowly voted Saturday to advance a Republican-backed bill that would ban virtually all abortions in the state.

Senators debated the bill for more than three hours before voting 26-20 on the bill during a special legislative session. That was the fewest number of votes needed to advance the bill to the House chamber, where it will be debated next week.

“I’m glad to see that we’ve gotten to this point,” said bill author Sen. Sue Glick, R-LaGrange, who noted that her legislation would put a halt to about 98% of all abortions in Indiana. “ It’s an issue that’s been with us for many, many years … and it won’t go away. I think it’s important we keep our minds open and we keep the ideas flowing.” ...