Lafayette trustee charged $36K to home improvement stores
EDITOR’S Note: This is one of various studies on courtroom-purchased release of Fairfield Township’s credit rating card data and what these credit history card statements reveal. However, Trustee Taletha Coles did not transform in excess of the receipts for the credit history credit score card buys and there are missing statements..
LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Fairfield Township Trustee Taletha Coles chalked up her $113,259 in credit card fees more than three years to her renovations at the township’s business office on Wabash Avenue, but only $36,691.51 can be right tied to dwelling advancement purchases.
A Journal & Courier’s ongoing overview of the court-ordered launch of the township’s credit rating card statements confirmed that amongst January 2019 and July 2021, Coles charged $36,691.51 to local household improvement merchants, as very well as to Just Blinds, Best Acquire, and Cork Floors.
Even so, there are quite a few months that do not have credit rating card statements, and there are statements that are only two webpages. The files show there are several missing web pages that ended up not supplied to the general public.
The Journal & Courier emailed Coles for comment about the expending, which includes more than $2,000 of purchases at Very best Get in March 2020. Coles did not react.
In Could 2019, Coles billed $984 to Just Blinds, presumably for the township’s place of work. She also charged additional than $1,300 that thirty day period to Countrywide Company Household furniture. In June 2019, Coles charged $2,652.59 to Cork Floors and $700 to Kirklands in Lafayette.
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The credit rating card statements indicate other rates to merchants that may thrust the renovation totals even better, but with no the receipts, which the J&C asked for, there’s no way to get a more correct accounting.
The Indiana Condition Police and the Condition Board of Accounts are investigating the township’s funds considering that Coles grew to become trustee in January 2019.
Coles was running for re-election Tuesday in the Democratic primary. She faced competitiveness from Fairfield Township Board associates Rocky Hession and Monica Casanova.
Republican Fairfield Township trustee applicant April O’Brien is functioning unopposed and will face the Democratic primary winner.
In the earlier, Coles blamed her high credit card spending — which include normal buys at the Lafayette Sam’s Club — on the renovations. The Journal & Courier did not incorporate any Sam’s Club purchases in the whole noted right now for the reason that there are not indications that the Sam’s Club buys had something to do with renovations.
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In its Sept. 17, 2021, ask for to examine community files, The Journal & Courier requested to examine credit rating card receipts as well as credit rating card statements.
The Journal & Courier submitted a lawsuit on March 17, 2022, for Coles to generate the asked for documents. Coles supplied some regular monthly credit card statements, but there are webpages lacking and months missing from individuals statements.
Access Ron Wilkins at [email protected]. Abide by on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.