Article feature: Lawmakers acted to rein in fellow state officials on no-bid contracts, luxury cars and more

Quoted in the Indianapolis Star on May 5, 2025:

Democratic state Rep. Carey Hamilton of Indianapolis said lawmakers this year made "small steps in the right direction" but it wasn't enough. She credited a series of "embarrassing headlines" with convincing lawmakers to take action.

"I was truly stunned to learn that a statewide elected official could put out a large no-bid contract, let alone that it could go to a campaign donor," said Hamilton, referring to Morales' contracts. "We've discovered over the past few years that there are significant holes in transparency in state government spending and also in campaign finance reporting. We definitely have work to do to stave off corruption with public dollars."