TERRE HAUTE — Political speculation abounds after Joe Hogsett’s announcement Monday that he’ll resign his U.S. attorney’s position at the end of the month.
Hogsett issued a public statement after first informing his boss, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, that he would be leaving the job effective July 31. The announcement included Hogsett’s reflections on the past four years and his expression of gratitude to his staff.
Few political pundits in Indiana were surprised by Hogsett’s pending resignation. And Hogsett’s longtime political mentor, former U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, called an impromptu news conference to tout Hogsett’s suitability for elective office — specifically mayor of Indianapolis — in 2015.
Bayh gave critical support to Hogsett, praising the attorney’s record as an aggressive prosecutor. Bayh said Hogsett’s track record of cracking down on violent criminals is needed in a city that’s seen a wave of homicides — more than 80 — in recent months.
“He’s my friend, I believe in him, but of course he’s got to make his decision first,” Bayh said. “And I’ll do whatever I’m legally allowed to do.”
Federal law prohibits Hogsett from talking about his political ambitions or taking any political steps before he leaves his current office. Hogsett has declined to confirm the rampant rumors that he’ll seek the mayor’s office in the state’s biggest city. Indianapolis’ mayoral election is in 2015.
But Bayh’s presence on Monday was seen as significant, given that the former U.S. senator and two-term governor has almost $10 million leftover in his campaign chest. By law, Bayh is allowed to spend that money on candidates in local and state races.
Bayh, who lives and works in Washington, D.C., said he would come back to Indiana to campaign for Hogsett and other Democratic candidates who invited him.
“I have a rule: If they feed me, I’ll come,” Bayh said. “And if they feed me barbecue, I’ll stay.”
Bayh, pushed by reporters to reveal his own political plans, deferred. He repeated his frequent response, saying that he’s yet to make a decision about whether he’ll try to recapture the Indiana governor’s office in 2016. He turned the conversation back instead to Hogsett.
“I think [Hogsett] would be a great mayor,” said Bayh, “particularly with his record on fighting crime and violence in our streets, which is probably the foremost issue facing Indianapolis today.”
Hogsett’s association with Bayh is long-standing. Hogsett served as campaign manager for Bayh’s successful run for secretary of state, and he managed Bayh’s campaign for governor. Bayh appointed Hogsett to fill the secretary of state vacancy, and then Hogsett won election to that office and served until December 1994. Hogsett has also served as chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party.
A native of Rushville, Hogsett is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Law. He was nominated — by Bayh — to serve as U.S. attorney in July 2010, and he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and sworn into office on Oct. 7, 2010. He supervises a staff of 30 attorneys and a support staff of 40.
During his time as U.S. attorney, Hogsett has been in the forefront of anti-crime initiatives, including fighting public corruption, child exploitation and civil rights violations.
In 2011, he announced the creation of a violent crime initiative to prosecute more gun crimes. He established a multi-agency law enforcement approach to investigate and prosecute repeat offenders and gangs.
The next year, he created the Public Integrity Working Group, which sought to reduce public corruption and white collar crime in Indiana. Indictments targeted a former Center Township official in Marion County for embezzlement; a Sullivan County township trustee and his wife for fraud; and a former Bloomington public official for embezzlement and conspiracy.
In the Wabash Valley, Hogsett filed criminal charges against six people connected to the July 2011 death of Terre Haute police officer Brent Long. Two other people were later indicted on drug and gun charges linked to Long’s death.
Drug dealers found themselves behind bars, too. Wabash Valley methamphetamine rings were busted and dozens of people — 19 in December 2010 and another 18 in February 2012 — were indicted.
Hogsett’s high-profile prosecutions didn’t end there. Numerous indictments have been filed in child pornography cases, including an April 2012 sexploitation case in which a Brazil, Ind., man later pleaded guilty to intimidating minors into posting explicit photos of themselves online.
In his resignation letter, Hogsett commented on his successful collaboration with local law enforcement agencies. He said he has met with local police in all 60 counties of the district “because I believed that we would find better ideas in Washington, Indiana, than in Washington, D.C.”
The letter also noted new records were set for the number of defendants charged and the number of criminal convictions on Hogsett’s watch. Fiscal accountability was mentioned, as annual reports reflect a decline in spending each of the years Hogsett served as U.S. attorney.
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