The long-time Democratic fundraiser and Mayor Joe Hogsett campaign staffer who arranged for wish lists for top donors to be delivered to one of Hogsett’s top city officials has been fundraising for Beau Bayh, the secretary of state candidate whose multimillion-dollar war chest helped him clinch the Democratic nomination, campaign finance reports show.

Bayh, who has built his campaign around fighting corruption and spurning political insiders, has paid Emily Gurwitz’ firm, EG Strategies, at least $30,000 for fundraising since Bayh’s campaign launch, and he has not yet issued a statement about Hogsett. But the 30-year-old candidate is now making a unique pledge: If elected, he will establish strict ethical guidelines for campaign staffers and will not award secretary of state contracts to a single donor.

“If elected, any campaign staffer working for me will be completely prohibited from contacting any state employee about state business,” Bayh said in a statement responding to an IndyStar question about Gurwitz’s relationship with his campaign. “I’ve been clear since the first day of this campaign that I will conduct an independent audit of this office to root out the corruption we’ve seen. In that spirit, I pledge to not award Secretary of State contracts to anyone who has donated to my campaign.”

The decision to not award contracts to donors would be a departure from the tenure of Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales, whose office awarded no-bid contracts to companies shortly after their top officials donated to his campaign. It’s the boldest step yet in Bayh’s promise to fight government corruption, which has long been a core tenant of his campaign. In his first priority on his website, he pledges to stop “wasteful” practices like using taxpayer dollars for luxury vehicles and “no bid contracts for big donors.”

“For too long, Hoosiers have watched the same old story play out in Indianapolis: corruption, waste, insiders taking care of themselves while working families struggle just to get by,” Bayh said in a speech criticizing the Indiana GOP ahead of his nomination June 6.

But IndyStar and Mirror Indy’s recent reporting on how the line between politics and official government business appeared to blur within the Democratic mayor’s office could complicate Bayh’s pitch. On multiple occasions, Gurwitz arranged for wish lists of donors’ preferred city contracts to be delivered to Dan Parker, the city’s public works chief at the time, according to a person familiar with the arrangement.

As Bayh looks to frame himself as an independent-minded candidate who opposes corruption, Bayh and his team will likely continue to woo many of the same donors who bankrolled Hogsett’s campaign — and several other successful Democratic candidates — to remain politically viable.

Bayh’s family also has a close relationship with Hogsett. When Bayh’s father ran for secretary of state and governor, Hogsett was his campaign manager. He also appointed Hogsett to fill the role of secretary of state after he left.

In an email to IndyStar, Gurwitz did not deny the existence of the wish lists but reiterated that she had no part in making contracting decisions for the City of Indianapolis and would never promise public benefits to donors.

“I want to be crystal clear: I have never promised any donor a public contract, favorable treatment, or any official action in exchange for a campaign contribution,” Gurwitz said in a statement. “Nor have I ever played any role in evaluating proposals, scoring submissions, selecting vendors, or making contracting decisions related to public contracts. I never have, and I never will. I stand firmly by those statements. I am proud of the record I have built over more than 15 years of service, and the opportunity to help elect candidates I believe in.”

Bayh’s campaign also took a shot at Republican secretary of state candidate Max Engling, challenging Engling to make the same pledge.

“Unfortunately, even if he makes that claim, it is impossible to know the truth, because his largest campaign donation is from fundraiser Marty Obst’s dark money PAC that doesn’t reveal its donors,” Bayh said. “Will Marty’s PAC reveal its donors, so we can know for a fact who is funding Max’s campaign?”

The Bayh campaign appears to be referring to Hoosier Leadership for America, a dark money group that keeps its donors private but has shelled out at least $60,000 on Engling’s campaign. Obst, a longtime Republican strategist who has worked with campaigns for President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence and most recently began lobbying for pardons in Washington, D.C., coordinated fundraising for the group’s redistricting retribution efforts, according to The Dispatch. But the person registered as the group’s president is Andy Surabian, a political operative once described as Steve Bannon’s right-hand.

Through a spokesperson, Engling did not respond to a request for comment.

Bayh’s campaign did not comment on why it selected Gurwitz as a fundraiser, though she’s worked on some of the most successful Democratic campaigns in the state. Gurwitz’ roster of current and former clients spans former U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, Congressman André Carson, former Congressman Brad Ellsworth and a variety of local races that include Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott and South Bend Mayor James Mueller. In 2023, former Indiana Democratic Party chair Kip Tew called Gurwitz “the best in the business.”

Her skill as a fundraiser was apparent on Hogsett’s campaign — the embattled Indianapolis mayor still continued to fundraise in 2025 and ended the year with $1.2 million despite not having formally announced a re-election bid. Bayh himself had already raised $2.4 million by March.

Indiana Democratic Party Chair Karen Tallian, through a spokesperson, did not respond to a request for an interview about Gurwitz’s close relationship with Indiana Democratic campaigns.

Candidates tend to flock to same fundraising firms

While a long list of successful Democrats has worked with Gurwitz, the two non-local Democratic officeholders now use national fundraising firms.

Carson, after working with Gurwitz on his initial election campaign, now pays a D.C.-based firm called the Frost Group for his fundraising needs. Congressman Frank Mrvan pays Helen Milby and Co and von Nida Consulting. Other unsuccessful Democratic candidates over the years have opted to rely mostly on ActBlue, an online fundraising platform, or have hired individuals without extensive fundraising experience.

On the GOP side, former Gov. Mike Pence, former Gov. Eric Holcomb and U.S. Sen. Jim Banks have often relied on Obst’s firm, MO Strategies. But it’s far from the only GOP fundraising firm in Indiana politics. Gov. Mike Braun, U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym and U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin have used Indianapolis-based Daniel Spaulding Consulting, for example, while also using WinRed, the online Republican fundraising platform, or transferring fundraising returns from their political action committees.

Lincoln Party candidate Greg Ballard has not reported spending much on fundraising but has received a significant chunk of money from the PAC Hoosiers for Competitive Elections. Libertarian candidate Lauri Shillings also has not reported paying for fundraising.

This article was written by IndyStar reporter Marissa Meador.