Pepe’s the Least of It

Widely disgraced by their use of an anti-Semitic meme (Pepe the Frog) to attack Mayor Adler's alleged "shell game" on the McKalla Place soccer agreement, the IndyAustin PAC has also issued a screed denouncing not only Adler's alleged real estate "empire," but adding an attack on his wife Diane Land's employment at commercial property management company DT Land Group. Presenting an extremely tendentious reading of the mayor's financial disclosure statements, they claim the couple has "financial interests tied to at least 71 properties in Travis, Williamson and Hays Counties. Those properties are currently assessed at $319 million." That number-by-association (with several others) accompanies charges that Adler benefits from real estate work by his former law firm (Barron Adler), and has voted on Council when he should have recused himself due to conflicts of interest in particular properties ("Steve Adler's Land Empire (S.A.L.E.) and His Biggest Broken Promise").

Adler campaign chair Jim Wick responded, "The IndyAustin allegations are wrong and offensive, and that they are lying with such ease is dangerous and represents the worst of the alternative-fact world of Donald Trump. They are trying to gain political advantage by using half-baked, poorly researched half-truths to demean good people. When Steve was elected mayor, he sold his law firm (its assets, cases, goodwill, etc.) and went on inactive status with the State Bar specifically so as to avoid any potential conflicts. ...

"Diane earns less than $40,000 per year with her property management company. She has no ownership interest in the properties her company now manages, yet it's suggested she has an interest in them all. At the beginning of Adler's term, his wife's company managed 16 properties and today it manages 18. ...

"The Adlers have limited investment interests (no control) in some of properties listed (all disclosed on city-mandated forms), ranging from .067% ownership to 15% ownership.

"The Mayor did not recuse himself on the three 2018 votes on 5202 and 5204 E. Ben White because he did not have a conflict. He recused himself on the original vote because he wasn't sure if he had a conflict or not."

IndyAustin also claims Adler "promised" to serve only one term as mayor. They cite no evidence of that claim – perhaps because there isn't any. – Michael King

But Wait, There's Transphobia Too!

District 9 contender Danielle Skidmore took to the web Monday to recount an ugly encounter with an IndyAustin canvasser on the UT campus. When Skidmore, who is trans, pointed out the flaws in the canvasser's anti-stadium petition pitch, she got misgendered so abusively that "passersby asked if they should call the police," she wrote. IndyAustin's Linda Curtis strongly denied the claim, alleging that Skidmore made up the incident as a campaign ploy. – Mike Clark-Madison