Secretary of State Diego Morales has experienced a sudden fall from grace in the Indiana Republican Party.
Politicians who until now endorsed his reelection campaign to get another term as the state’s chief election officer made a stunning about-face earlier this week when another Republican candidate with strong ties to U.S. Sen. Jim Banks entered the race. Several are now calling for him to suspend his campaign or even resign.
After years of scandal in the office, including questions about Morales’ own history of alleged voter fraud, the last straw for Banks appears to be driven by a staffing decision in Morales’ office.
“Diego worked hard and did many good things but he lied to me about hiring a non-citizen as his chief of staff who illegally registered to vote so I withdrew my endorsement and recruited a stronger candidate who can win in November,” Banks told Indiana Capital Chronicle. The senator’s office didn’t immediately reply to IndyStar’s request for comment.
The employee in question is Elina Kupce, who recently left her employment in Morales’ office amid questions about her citizenship status and voting registration history. Kupce earned nearly $140,000 in 2025 and was employed by the office since 2023, according to Indiana government records.
Kupce didn’t respond to a voicemail left by IndyStar. Morales’ spokeswoman Lindsey Eaton referred IndyStar to the state personnel department, which hasn’t yet responded to IndyStar’s request for comment.
Here’s what to know about the situation and how it’s impacted the secretary of state’s race.
Was former Morales staffer a citizen?
The citizenship status of Kupce, who recently left Morales’ office after serving in a chief of staff role, came into question after Indiana political blogger Abdul Hakim-Shabazz first reported on the situation earlier this month.
Documents obtained by IndyStar show that Kupce’s official Indiana driver record lists a restriction on it that is used by noncitizens. The so-called “temporary lawful resident” restriction indicates that “the holder of a credential has temporary lawful status in the United States.”
The staffer wasn’t an illegal immigrant as people with that credential are required to present documents to the BMV proving their identity and lawful status in the country.
Was she registered to vote – and did she vote?
Kupce was briefly registered to vote in the state of Indiana even though her driver’s license indicates she’s not a citizen and is thus ineligible to vote.
However, Kupce’s voter registration was short-lived and was canceled long before she ever worked for Morales, according to documents obtained by IndyStar.
Kupce appears to have registered to vote back in 2007 when she was a student at Purdue University, according to documents from Indiana’s voter registration system obtained by the news organization. The document shows that she checked a “yes” box that asks whether she was a citizen of the U.S.
However, those same records show she has no voting history records available, indicating that she never voted, and that her registration was canceled as of 2013.
Why is this controversial?
Morales has said election integrity and ensuring noncitizens don’t vote is a top priority in his office.
He’s touted efforts to ensure all registered voters are citizens, chased down voter fraud claims and even worked with Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita to sue President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security in 2025, arguing the agency failed to provide information that would help verify the citizenship status of nearly 600,000 Indiana voters.
Some Republicans told IndyStar that failing to ensure the citizenship and voting status among his own staff members was disqualifying.
“You can’t be Diego Morales, the biggest drum banger on illegal immigration, America first, and then have that ― it’s just hypocritical,” podcast host and former state employee Mike Neal said.
Contact IndyStar investigative reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@indystar.com or follow her on X @hayleighcolombo.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: What to know about the controversy surrounding Diego Morales’ former staffer
Reporting by Hayleigh Colombo, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
