ELECTION/GOP/MIKE PENCE/TRUMP PEOPLE: “When you have the best known name in your congressional district and your younger brother is a heartbeat away from the presidency, it is difficult to run a stealth campaign. But Greg Pence is doing a pretty good job of it…Hardly the first candidate to run on a famous name, Mr. Pence, 61, extols two central credentials in his House bid: his service in the Marines and his success as a business executive. But an examination of his record in business shows decidedly mixed results. He was the president of a convenience store chain — making key strategic decisions — that filed for bankruptcy protection and was assessed penalties of $8.4 million by the State of Indiana for environmental damage, caused primarily by leaking underground storage tanks. A local bank, where he also served on the board of directors, was forced to sue him to recover $3.8 million in debts that he had personally guaranteed, only to have to settle for pennies on the dollar. But when he needed a second chance, one seemed to be waiting for him. Mr. Pence’s race in a safely Republican district where he has lived most of his life — stretching from the far eastern suburbs of Indianapolis to Muncie in the north and the Kentucky line to the south — shows the durable power in politics of a famous name and insider connections even in an outsider era.”
-Michael Tackett, “As Another Pence Runs for Congress, His Business Record Raises Questions,” the New York Times online, April 22, 2018