The FBI raided the offices of the South Bend Housing Authority. Officials of that agency were appointed by Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
The FBI isn’t talking but local residents say it comes as no surprise since the agency has long been accused of favoritism. This will cast a shadow over the candidacy of mayor Pete, who has already fallen to single digits and who failed to distinguish himself this week in his debate.
I am already tied with Beto O’Rourke for the Democratic nomination and may soon be even with Buttigieg. Remember, he took in the most money from Hollywood but that hasn’t helped him a bit.
This is not a good sign for the Buttigieg campaign.
The day after South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg was on stage for the Democratic primary debate in Detroit, the FBI raided the South Bend Housing Authority on Wednesday in a law enforcement action that could raise plenty of questions about Buttigieg and his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Federal and local authorities aren’t talking about what led to the action, but residents told local news outlets it didn’t come as a shock: That favoritism is common at the authority and that it’s poorly managed.
In response to the raid, according to The South Bend Tribune, Buttigieg released a statement through his spokesman that attempted to distance the mayor from the authority’s operation.
“Earlier today the Mayor’s Office became aware through local media reports of today’s law enforcement action at the Housing Authority. While the Housing Authority is not part of the City administration, the Mayor is concerned and will be closely following the situation.
“The Mayor is in touch with the Board of Commissioners and has asked that they keep him informed on what they learn from federal officials. In the meantime, he has offered the City’s assistance to help ensure residents are not negatively impacted by this situation. He has been advised that normal operations will continue.”