Matt Kelty
Encyclopedia
Matt Kelty, is an Indiana
politician, an architect
and founder of Kelty Tappy Design. He was the 2007 Republican
candidate for Mayor
of Fort Wayne, Indiana
and the 2002 candidate for the 81st District Indiana House of Representatives.
for the Congressional Student Program. He later served as the Regional Political Director for the Dan Coats
for Indiana Campaign, went on to become the Joint Staff Regional Director for both Indiana U.S. Senators Richard Lugar and Dan Coats. Kelty was appointed Chairman of the Young Republicans
(YR) for the 4th District of Indiana organizing YR chapters in eight counties in northeastern Indiana
. In 1994 he worked for Senator Dick Lugar's successful re-election campaign, and later worked in the grass roots organizing campaign in Iowa
during Lugar's unsuccessful presidential bid in 1995.
In 2003, hours into the U.S. invasion of Iraq
, Matt Kelty, with the assistance of Cathy Hawks and others, organized the massive "Rally for America" held in Auburn, Indiana
, and headlined by conservative TV and Radio personality Glenn Beck
. The Fort Wayne Rally for America was attended by over 20,000 people from Indiana, Ohio
, and Michigan
and was simulcast (via website) around the world.
The next year Kelty again spearheaded and organized an event to support U.S. soldiers in the Middle East. Kelty executed "Operation Recreation" in Fort Wayne, mobilizing hundreds of volunteers to collect over eleven tons of recreational equipment to send to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan
. Kelty also raised over $10,000 in donations to pay for the packing and shipping.
Kelty serves on the boards of the Fort Wayne Chapter of the American Red Cross
, the Fort Wayne Drug & Alcohol Consortium, the Fort Wayne Ballet Capital Fundraising Committee, and the Allen County Right to Life
Board of Advisors.
seat held by incumbent Win Moses in 2002. Kelty very nearly pulled off an upset in this election. Winfield Moses won the election by only 63 votes (verified by a recount).
in the general election.
Kelty took 50.3% of the vote compared with 46.7% for Allen County Commissioner, F. Nelson Peters IV, in the primary, defeating Peters by 658 votes.
On November 6, 2007, Matt Kelty lost in the general elections to Democratic candidate Tom Henry. Matt Kelty conceded his loss with his family in the early evening at Allen County Republican Party headquarters. The final results showed Tom Henry with 60% of the vote, compared to Kelty's 40%.
Kelty's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss all charges on October 22, 2007.
On February 8, 2008, Kelty's motion to dismiss all charges was denied.
Kelty was scheduled to stand trial on October 20, 2008 in Fort Wayne, Indiana
. Prosecutor Dan Sigler stated it does not appear Kelty has any plans of pleading out. Judge Scheibenberger said he would accept a plea bargain no later than October 19. Kelty's lawyers were granted a one day continuance on October 20, 2008 in order to look into new evidence obtained over the weekend. Due to this Kelty's trial was pushed back to October 21, 2008.
Two of the three counts Kelty pleaded guilty to were related to campaign finance laws. He also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of false informing, admitting to providing false testimony to the grand jury. The other charges, including perjury, were dropped. Kelty will be allowed to keep his architecture license despite the felonies, but they will prevent Kelty from being eligible to run for public office again at the state or local level. He may petition the court to have the felonies reduced to misdemeanor.
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
politician, an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and founder of Kelty Tappy Design. He was the 2007 Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate for Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
and the 2002 candidate for the 81st District Indiana House of Representatives.
Public service
He was selected by Congressman Dan CoatsDan Coats
Daniel Ray "Dan" Coats is the junior United States Senator from Indiana and member of the Republican Party. He was in the United States Senate from from 1989 to 1999, retired, and then returned in 2011....
for the Congressional Student Program. He later served as the Regional Political Director for the Dan Coats
Dan Coats
Daniel Ray "Dan" Coats is the junior United States Senator from Indiana and member of the Republican Party. He was in the United States Senate from from 1989 to 1999, retired, and then returned in 2011....
for Indiana Campaign, went on to become the Joint Staff Regional Director for both Indiana U.S. Senators Richard Lugar and Dan Coats. Kelty was appointed Chairman of the Young Republicans
Young Republicans
The Young Republicans is an organization for members of the Republican Party of the United States between the ages of 18 and 40. It has both a national organization and chapters in individual states....
(YR) for the 4th District of Indiana organizing YR chapters in eight counties in northeastern Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. In 1994 he worked for Senator Dick Lugar's successful re-election campaign, and later worked in the grass roots organizing campaign in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
during Lugar's unsuccessful presidential bid in 1995.
In 2003, hours into the U.S. invasion of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Matt Kelty, with the assistance of Cathy Hawks and others, organized the massive "Rally for America" held in Auburn, Indiana
Auburn, Indiana
Auburn is a city in DeKalb County, Indiana, United States. The population was 13,086 at the 2010 census. Founded in 1836 by Wesley Park , the city is the county seat of DeKalb County. Auburn is also known as Home of the Classics.-Geography:...
, and headlined by conservative TV and Radio personality Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
. The Fort Wayne Rally for America was attended by over 20,000 people from Indiana, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, and Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and was simulcast (via website) around the world.
The next year Kelty again spearheaded and organized an event to support U.S. soldiers in the Middle East. Kelty executed "Operation Recreation" in Fort Wayne, mobilizing hundreds of volunteers to collect over eleven tons of recreational equipment to send to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Kelty also raised over $10,000 in donations to pay for the packing and shipping.
Kelty serves on the boards of the Fort Wayne Chapter of the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
, the Fort Wayne Drug & Alcohol Consortium, the Fort Wayne Ballet Capital Fundraising Committee, and the Allen County Right to Life
Allen County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 331,849 people, 128,745 households, and 86,259 families residing in the county. The population density was 505 people per square mile . There were 138,905 housing units at an average density of 211 per square mile...
Board of Advisors.
2002 State Representative campaign
Kelty was the Republican nominee for the 81st District Indiana House of RepresentativesIndiana House of Representatives
The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House members serve two-year terms without term limits...
seat held by incumbent Win Moses in 2002. Kelty very nearly pulled off an upset in this election. Winfield Moses won the election by only 63 votes (verified by a recount).
2007 mayoral campaign
Kelty upset Allen County Commissioner Nelson Peters in the May 8, 2007, Republican primary election, setting a matchup against Democrat Tom HenryTom Henry
Tom Henry is an American politician, former Fort Wayne City Councilman, and current Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA. He has an MBA from the University of Saint Francis and is the President and CEO of the Gallant Group, a small insurance company in Fort Wayne...
in the general election.
Kelty took 50.3% of the vote compared with 46.7% for Allen County Commissioner, F. Nelson Peters IV, in the primary, defeating Peters by 658 votes.
On November 6, 2007, Matt Kelty lost in the general elections to Democratic candidate Tom Henry. Matt Kelty conceded his loss with his family in the early evening at Allen County Republican Party headquarters. The final results showed Tom Henry with 60% of the vote, compared to Kelty's 40%.
Legal issues
On August 14, 2007, Kelty was indicted on 9 charges relating to his campaign. Five of the nine charges are felonies for filing fraudulent campaign reports, two of the felony charges are for perjury, and the 2 misedemeanor charges are for co-mingling of funds.Kelty's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss all charges on October 22, 2007.
On February 8, 2008, Kelty's motion to dismiss all charges was denied.
Kelty was scheduled to stand trial on October 20, 2008 in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Prosecutor Dan Sigler stated it does not appear Kelty has any plans of pleading out. Judge Scheibenberger said he would accept a plea bargain no later than October 19. Kelty's lawyers were granted a one day continuance on October 20, 2008 in order to look into new evidence obtained over the weekend. Due to this Kelty's trial was pushed back to October 21, 2008.
Conviction
On October 20, 2008, Kelty pleaded guilty to three of the nine counts against him. Due to his plea, Kelty will avoid jail time in which he was facing upwards to 20 years in prison. Pursuant to the plea bargain Kelty will pay a $250 fine for each conviction (total of $750) and serve 80 hours of community service. Kelty will also serve one years probation.Two of the three counts Kelty pleaded guilty to were related to campaign finance laws. He also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of false informing, admitting to providing false testimony to the grand jury. The other charges, including perjury, were dropped. Kelty will be allowed to keep his architecture license despite the felonies, but they will prevent Kelty from being eligible to run for public office again at the state or local level. He may petition the court to have the felonies reduced to misdemeanor.
Education degrees and awards
- 1988 graduate of the University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre DameThe University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
College of Architecture