SHOCKING SEX SCANDALS AND CRIMINAL PASTS ROCK INDIANA GOP CONVENTION – WHO WILL CONTROL ELECTIONS?

By Hoosier Enquirer Staff

Indianapolis, IN – June 2026

Fort Wayne is about to explode as the Indiana Republican State Convention kicks off June 19-20 at the Grand Wayne Convention Center. Nearly 1,800 delegates will duke it out in secret ballots to crown the GOP nominee for Secretary of State — the powerful office that oversees elections, voter rolls, business filings, and more. With the general election looming, this isn’t just politics... it’s a sleaze-filled cage match that could hand Democrats the ultimate ammo.

Incumbent Diego Morales, Indiana’s first Latino Secretary of State, is fighting for his political life after big names like Sen. Jim Banks and AG Todd Rokita ditched him. But his challengers? They come packing more baggage than a scandal-plagued reality show.

The Dirty Details on the Challengers

Max Engling — the flashy last-minute Banks insider and former McCarthy aide — is positioning himself as Mr. Election Integrity. But behind the polished resume lies a seedy past that’s got delegates whispering. Public records reveal Maximillian Terrace Engling’s 2007 Hamilton County rap sheet: Criminal Recklessness and multiple counts of Criminal Mischief — all misdemeanors wrapped up in October 2007. Sure, it’s been expunged... but does that erase the questions?

Even juicier: explosive allegations tie Engling to adult swingers websites under the alias “Diamond Jackson.” Sex scandal whispers are sweeping the convention floor, raising massive red flags about character, blackmail risks, and whether this guy is fit to guard Indiana’s ballots. Will delegates overlook the dirt for a Banks-backed fresh face?

Dave Shelton, Knox County Clerk and local GOP chair, touts his “family values” and clerk experience while hammering Morales on mismanagement. But critics are firing back hard: Shelton’s wife Rachel runs a booming **Pure Romance** sex toy and lingerie empire — complete with a branded party bus hawking “relationship enhancers” through home parties. Shelton reportedly helped build the business. For a party stressing conservative principles, the optics of a Secretary of State hopeful tied to the adult products trade are raising eyebrows and providing endless Democrat attack ad fodder. Oh, and don’t forget — Shelton was once a Democrat. Flip-flop much?

What’s at Stake for the Secretary of State’s Office?

This office isn’t some sleepy bureaucracy — it’s ground zero for election security in a battleground state. Voter rolls, election certification, business oversight... the winner sets the tone for years.

- Morales sticking around means more of the same controversies over spending, staffing, and competence that already have top Republicans bailing.

- An Engling win could inject Banks-style aggression on integrity... if the sex scandal doesn’t torpedo him first.

- Shelton might bring local know-how, but the family business drama could haunt the ticket all the way to November against likely Democrat Beau Bayh.

Backroom deals, frantic calls, mailers, and dirt-digging are in full swing. The convention could fracture the GOP heading into a must-win cycle, handing Hoosiers a nominee weighed down by personal scandals instead of focused on clean elections.

Hoosier Enquirer will be watching every bombshell from Fort Wayne. Stay tuned — this showdown is far from over. The real losers? Indiana voters if character takes a backseat to ambition.

All information Hoosier Enquirer gathered based on court records, public reports, and campaign statements.