District 22 State Representative candidate David Kolbe has filed a formal complaint with the Indiana Election Commission against Republican nominee Curt Nisly, alleging improprieties and efforts to obtain an unfair campaign advantage.

In his complaint, Kolbe alleges Nisly used his small web business, C-Tech Solutions Inc., to secure a public contract with the Elkhart County Clerk to design and possibly maintain the home web page for the clerk. The site, elkhartcountyclerk.com, “fails to display proper information for the clerk’s office, nor does it mention the clerk by name,” noted a prepared statement released by Kolbe’s campaign. “In reality, this site is the Elkhart County Election Board home page and, until on or about Aug. 31, provided a direct link to C-Tech and the candidate’s campaign for District 22 including campaign logos, Facebook link, blogs, campaign website and donation platform.”

Kolbe’s campaign further said in the statement that Nisly boasts on his C-Tech website that his business designed his campaign website. However, in his CFA-4 pre-primary campaign finance report, Nisly reports paying HS Enterprises for designing the site. “HS Enterprises falsely holds itself out as an LLC. No such business exists with the Indiana Secretary of State. The principal of HS Enterprises LLC [sic] is Andrew Gould, general manager of C-Tech Solutions Inc.”

Additionally, Kolbe’s campaign found that Nisly’s wife, Mary, serves as a member of the Elkhart County Vote Center Committee and also serves as the Elkhart County Republican Party chairwoman, raising issues of conflict of interest.

Kolbe asks the Indiana Election Commission to further investigate the claims.

Kolbe provided the following documents with his complaint to the state: Exhibit 2, Exhibit 3, Exhibit 4, Exhibit 5 and Exhibit 6.