No one is talking about the connection between E-REP and Winnecke, and it's maddening. It was reported that Winnecke was taking a job as CEO of E-REP after his term in office. Now, the Vanderburgh County Commissioners have given Winnecke $300kto start a political action committee. E-REP is also initiating a program that will pay qualified individuals $5,000 to move here.

Now, why are we giving a $300k to this man to run a PAC when he had no regard for a female employee's safety and well-being after former EFD Fire Chief Mike Connelly victimed her?

The gist of the story is a female employee of the fire department back in 2022, saw she was being recorded by the fire chief. This fire chief, Mike Connelly, is the head of all fire departments. she asked him why he was recording, and he said it was so he could remember their meeting. When she said it made her uncomfortable, he agreed he would stop doing it. Cue September 2023, she has a meeting with him and sees that he has wedged his phone in his bookcase at a weird angle. She asked him about it, and he admitted he was recording her.

She went to HR to report it. The next day, she sits down with the deputy chief and the fire chief. The fire chief ADMITS he was attracted to this woman and that's why he was recording her. He also admits that she never made any advances that she wanted to move their relationship past professional. The former mayor and his administration give the chief the option of being fired or retiring with full tax-payer paid benefits.

Then the new mayor's administration further victimizes this woman. She’s never been interviewed or updated about any of it and has a to file a FOIA request just to get her personnel file. HR does give her therapy, but it’s a LIMITED number of visits and she has to take PTO or sick leave to visit a therapist for the harassment she received while working at her job in our city. The irony of her perpetrator receiving full benefits while she’s made to jump through hoops to deal with the trauma that happened to her while trying to perofmr her job is not lost on me. Then the new adminstration send a press release to the media with the woman's name. The woman never consented to her name being released.

It's just sad to see all of this play out and no one being forced to answer for any of their part in this woman's pain. But, please, move to Evansville!