The Hamilton County Elections Board declined to investigate conflicting allegations that the campaigns of Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard and challenger Fred Glynn offered a bribe to get Glynn to drop out of the race.

Former members of the two campaigns submitted sworn affidavits to the board Tuesday saying they participated in a February meeting where they discussed how Brainard could help Glynn in a future campaign, if he dropped out of the mayor's race. Attorneys for both men said no one offered a bribe during that meeting.

The board voted 2-1 to dismiss a bribery complaint, which Hamilton County Democratic Party chairmanJoe Weingartenbrought to the board, because two of its members argued there wasn't probable cause for an investigation.

Tuesday's board meeting stemmed from competing accusations. The first involves an allegation, which Glynn aired to IndyStar, that a campaign worker for Brainard offered a $140,000 bribe to Glynn through Dan Hennessey, then Glynn’s campaign manager, for Glynn to drop out of the race.

The other claim, made by Hamilton County Republican Chairwoman Laura Campbell, alleges that Hennessey asked for money to convince his candidate to withdraw.

Greg Purvis, the lone Democrat on the board, argued for a full hearing on the allegations, but his request was never seconded.

"Offering somebody a personal award or campaign contribution, that kind of log rolling seems to me possibly corrupt," Purvis said.

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The participants of the Feb. 3 meeting are Hennessey —who left his role as Glynn's campaign manager shortly after that meeting and went to work for Brainard's campaign — GOP chairwoman Campbell and Allan Sutherlin, a consultant for Brainard's campaign. All said in their affidavits that at no point did anyone offer Glynn, a Hamilton County Council member, $140,000.

According to their account, Sutherlin suggested that Brainard's campaign host a fundraiser for Glynn in a future campaign. Hennessey suggested Brainard's campaign make a future political contribution to Glynn. At the time, Brainard had $140,000 in his campaign chest.

"This was a routine conversation among people concerned about party unity," argued Tim DeLaney, an attorney representing Hennessey.

Ultimately, Glynn stayed in the race. He did not attend the Tuesday elections board meeting.

"Who knows what the heck was said," Glynn later said of the February meeting. He argued he had no representation in that meeting with his best interests in mind since Hennessey would soon officially switch campaigns.

During Tuesday's meeting, attorneys argued that three Republicans' actions didn't amount to bribery under Indiana code. For starters, Campbell, Sutherlin and Hennessey had no authority to come to an agreement, and the candidates themselves weren't present.

Joseph Chapelle, an attorney representing Brainard's campaign, also argued Indiana's laws on bribery don't apply to primary elections.

But in the Republican-heavy city, primary elections almost always determine who controls Carmel. Currently, for example, Brainard has no Democratic challenger on the ballot for November.

Purvis argued that, for practical purposes, the Republican primary is the election to watch.

The election board decision wraps up Brainard's closest election to date and his priciest this century. Aside from the bribery allegations released during his campaign, Clerk-Treasurer Christine Pauley, who was a Glynn supporter, accused Brainard of harassment. He says the two were dating at the time. She denies that.

Brainard defeated Glynn with 55.8% to 44.2% of the vote.

Call IndyStar reporter Kaitlin Lange at 317-432-9270. Follow her on Twitter: @kaitlin_lange.