8 Indicted on Charges of Election Fraud in Indiana

Eight people have been indicted on election fraud charges in connection with 1982 and 1984 races in southern Indiana, including a congressional election that was the closest in U.S. history, the Justice Department announced today.

The indictments, however, will not affect the outcome of the 1984 8th Congressional District race, in which Democratic incumbent Frank McCloskey was eventually declared the winner, U.S. Atty. John Tinder said.

The federal grand jury charged the eight Crawford County residents with conspiracy to pay voters for their votes in the 1982 and 1984 general elections and the 1984 Democratic primary, Tinder said.

In the 1984 congressional race, McCloskey was declared the winner over Republican Richard D. McIntyre by four votes out of more than 230,000 after a recount conducted by a special U.S. House subcommittee. The decision to seat McCloskey for a second term set off a firestorm among Republicans. Many charged the Democrat-dominated panel with stealing the election.

FBI agents began investigating vote-fraud allegations after McCloskey was declared the winner of the recount in May, 1985, the Indianapolis Star reported today.

Part of Crawford County is in the 9th Congressional District, and the federal investigation also may involve that district as well as local races, the Star said before the indictments were announced.

McCloskey, reached in Washington, said he was unaware of the investigation. McIntyre said he had heard rumors that such an investigation was under way but had not been contacted by FBI agents, the newspaper said.