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Former Southern Ind. Democratic party chair, candidate arrested on charges related to 2022 election

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A former Southern Indiana candidate and county Democratic party chair has been charged with three felonies related to the 2022 election.

Former Clark County Democratic party chair and county clerk candidate Christopher J. Coyle is facing felony charges related to last year’s election.

Christopher J. Coyle was arrested Thursday for filing campaign paperwork and voting in Clark County while not living there, according to Indiana State Police.

He’s charged with a level 6 felony for filing a fraudulent report and two level 6 felonies for voting outside a precinct of residency. Online court records also show he’s facing an infraction for an address or name change violation. The charges follow an investigation by ISP.

According to court records, police say Coyle used a Memphis, Indiana, address on a campaign finance report filed Oct. 20, but had sold that house in July. He is also alleged to have voted using the ID with his old address.

Police analyzed Coyle’s cell phone locations between Aug. 8 and Nov. 9 and found the majority of his overnight stays were in the Louisville area.

According to a news release from ISP, Coyle turned himself in Thursday and was released on his own recognizance the same day.

Coyle ran for Clark County Clerk in November, losing to Republican Ryan Lynch.

He was elected as the Clark County Democratic party chair in 2021 but resigned earlier this year, current party chair Tom Galligan confirmed to LPM News. Galligan did not comment on the arrest.

This story has been updated.

Coverage of Southern Indiana is funded, in part, by Samtec, Inc. and the Hazel & Walter T. Bales Foundation.

Aprile Rickert is LPM's Southern Indiana reporter. Email Aprile at arickert@lpm.org.

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