Relationships can lead to trouble. The president of an Indianapolis voting-supply firm invited him to a Pacers basketball game when the home team faced off against Culp's beloved Charlotte Hornets.
Merchants ply state and local government administrators with entertainment and campaign funds.
Without binding regulations and with little oversight, these relationships breed disregard for protecting ballots, obtaining the best equipment and safeguarding public funds. Culp knows it. His kickback schemes with voting machine company representatives saddled Louisiana voters with obsolete mechanical clunkers. Bribes and kickbacks are extreme examples of what can go wrong. But the market is heating up.