From nwi.com:

The two candidates for Indiana attorney general are sparring over the role a public construction contractor could play in the upcoming racketeering trial against former East Chicago city officials.

Chief Deputy Attorney General Greg Zoeller, whose office is prosecuting the civil case, said employees of the contractor will play a “critical” role in the trial — which could mean company officials probably will want their attorney, Linda Pence, at their side during the case.

Pence is the Democratic candidate for attorney general, and Zoeller is the Republican candidate. The election is in November, and a trial date for the case has not yet been set.

“If you’ve been involved in a specific case … you can’t represent both sides,” Zoeller said.

Pence brushed aside questions of whether she could have a conflict of interest in the case, adding that she was “amazed” that the current administration has delayed the trial so long that allegations from 1999 are a campaign issue in 2008.

“If there’s judged to be a conflict of interests, it will not take me seven to nine years to find outside counsel and finish the case,” Pence said.

Pence has said she will not commit to going forward with the racketeering case against former East Chicago Democratic Mayor Robert Pastrick’s administration until she has a chance to review the files and judge the strength of the evidence.

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