Trustee charged $36K to home improvement stores — presumably for renovations
EDITOR’S Notice: This is a person of many reports on courtroom-purchased launch of Fairfield Township’s credit score card data and what these credit rating card statements expose. Nonetheless, Trustee Taletha Coles did not transform around the receipts for the credit rating credit score card buys and there are lacking statements..
LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Fairfield Township Trustee Taletha Coles chalked up her $113,259 in credit rating card costs above 3 a long time to her renovations at the township’s business on Wabash Avenue, but only $36,691.51 can be straight tied to residence improvement buys.
A Journal & Courier’s ongoing critique of the court docket-purchased launch of the township’s credit rating card statements showed that among January 2019 and July 2021, Coles billed $36,691.51 to nearby dwelling enhancement stores, as perfectly as to Just Blinds, Finest Obtain, and Cork Floors.
Nonetheless, there are several months that do not have credit score card statements, and there are statements that are only two pages. The documents show there are several lacking web pages that have been not provided to the public.
The Journal & Courier emailed Coles for remark about the investing, such as a lot more than $2,000 of buys at Greatest Invest in in March 2020. Coles did not respond.
In May 2019, Coles charged $984 to Just Blinds, presumably for the township’s business office. She also billed extra than $1,300 that month to National Enterprise Home furniture. In June 2019, Coles billed $2,652.59 to Cork Floors and $700 to Kirklands in Lafayette.
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The credit rating card statements point out other fees to shops that might push the renovation totals even bigger, but with out the receipts, which the J&C requested, there is certainly no way to get a extra exact accounting.
The Indiana Condition Law enforcement and the Condition Board of Accounts are investigating the township’s funds because Coles became trustee in January 2019.
Coles was working for re-election Tuesday in the Democratic major. She confronted opposition from Fairfield Township Board members Rocky Hession and Monica Casanova.
Republican Fairfield Township trustee prospect April O’Brien is functioning unopposed and will confront the Democratic key winner.
In the earlier, Coles blamed her higher credit rating card shelling out — which include normal purchases at the Lafayette Sam’s Club — on the renovations. The Journal & Courier did not include things like any Sam’s Club purchases in the whole documented these days mainly because there are not indications that the Sam’s Club buys experienced anything to do with renovations.
Paying: Fairfield Township trustee billed $41K on credit score card in 2021
In its Sept. 17, 2021, request to examine community files, The Journal & Courier requested to examine credit rating card receipts as nicely as credit card statements.
The Journal & Courier filed a lawsuit on March 17, 2022, for Coles to deliver the requested files. Coles supplied some every month credit rating card statements, but there are webpages lacking and months lacking from individuals statements.
Attain Ron Wilkins at [email protected]. Stick to on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.
This report at first appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette trustee billed $36K to home enhancement shops