Chris Proffitt/Eyewitness News
Indianapolis - The FBI has still not brought charges against Indianapolis millionaire Tim Durham, but the investigation into his business activities continues.
Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi is a close friend of Durham and has accepted political contributions from him. Brizzi has also invested in a Texas company connected to Durham.
Eyewitness News sat down with Brizzi for some straight answers about friendship and business dealings.
The two-term prosecutor has been under growing pressure to explain his personal and business ties to Indianapolis businessman Tim Durham.
The FBI recently raided Durham's Indianapolis headquarters and the offices of his Ohio company Fair Financial. Investigators allege that Durham ran a Ponzi scheme defrauding Fair Financial investors out of potentially hundreds of millions of dollars. Brizzi accepted and recently declined to sit on Fair Financial's board after learning of an investigation into the company's financial dealings.
"They were raising questions about some of the business practices at Fair Finance and that's when I decided that it wasn't appropriate for me to sit on the board," said Brizzi.
Brizzi also invested heavily in a Texas company connected to Durham, which is now the subject of a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation. Durham served as finance chairman of Brizzi's 2006 re-election campaign while personally donating $160,000. So far, it's unknown whether any monies from Fair investors was given to Brizzi and other political candidates.
"I am very concerned about anyone who may have lost money in any sort of investment," said Brizzi.
Brizzi has described Durham as one of his best friends, which has critics charging that his ties to Durham have damaged his credibility as an elected official and as a leader in the criminal justice system.
Critics have also charged that Brizzi has defended a man whose company is being investigated for allegedly defrauding investors of $200 million. Brizzi denied that, saying, "I'm not defending him." But Brizzi agreed that he defended his friendship with Durham, saying, "What would you do if a friend was accused [of what Durham is accused of]?"
When Eyewitness News responded, "I would question that friendship," Brizzi said, "I'm not saying that I don't."
Brizzi points out that he's just one of many candidates that received financial support from Durham, who, so far, has not been charged with wrongdoing.
Brizzi says he's talked twice to Durham since the FBI raid. Brizzi did tell supporters on Monday that he should have conducted greater due diligence before agreeing to serve on Fair Financial's board.
