Working for You: Looking into Corbett's campaign contributions

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The 'Corbett for Sheriff' campaign's list of contributions shows two sums that as they stand right now would be in violation of state law. ABC 57 is working for you, asking the campaign, contributor, and the county clerk how this happened and what's being done about it.

$7,500 and $2,500 from Meridian Title Corporation are listed on a copy of St. Joseph County clerk records as contributions to the 'Corbett for Sheriff' campaign.

State law says the maximum a corporation can donate to a county candidate is $2,000.

ABC 57's Jess Arnold spoke with the CEO of the South Bend branch for Meridian Title, Mark Myers, and he said both were mistakes.

He says the $7,500 was supposed to be an individual donation, which does not have a limit.

He showed ABC 57 a copy of a personal check to prove it.

Myers claims the $2,500 was a miscommunication he's currently working with Corbett's campaign treasurer to correct.

The county clerk's office says after a report surfaced concerning the contributions, they're reaching out to the folks involved.

"The letters were written yesterday to Meridian Title and to the treasurer for the Corbett for Sheriff campaign asking if Meridian Title is indeed a corporation as it is listed in the secretary of state’s website for businesses and then also asking the candidate whether or not they might have just put the wrong information on the CFA form," said St. Joseph County clerk, Terri Rethlake, who serves on the election board.

A PR representative with Corbett's campaign said they'll be refunding the excess $500, and Myers says he will be sending an amendment.

There's a reason, though, that the clerk didn't catch the error.

“State statute says that we have to perform a periodic audit of certain candidates, doesn’t even have to be all candidates—so there’s no rhyme or reason, we just kind of pick people—just at random," said Rethlake.

The County Clerk says the last audits they performed were in 2016–on all candidate. <-Kelsey, put this in all caps

ABC 57 reached out to the other two sheriff campaigns, Thompson and Redman, to see if they would be raising a concern to the election board.

Thompson's treasurer responded saying they would not be doing that.

Redman's campaign did not respond.