Ben Shoulders, a name familiar to many as the former Vanderburgh County Commissioner, finds himself embroiled in a scandal that has captured the attention of the community. The one-time public official is currently at the center of serious allegations involving the misuse of campaign funds, with accusations surrounding the purchase of expensive and coveted baseball cards.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in the Vanderburgh Circuit Court, Shoulders allegedly went on a spending spree on eBay, racking up a staggering bill of over $41,000 using a debit card linked to his “Shoulders for Commissioner” account. What makes this expenditure particularly eyebrow-raising is not just the hefty sum but the clever mislabeling of these purchases on his campaign finance reports.
The paperwork reveals that Shoulders disguised his splurges on collectible baseball cards by listing them as mundane campaign items, such as “signs” and “banner,” in an attempt to conceal the true nature of the transactions. While most of the expenditures seemed legitimate at first glance, it was the peculiar entries for a $235 Johnny Bench rookie card, a $570 Satchel Paige card, and nearly $500 worth of Pokémon cards – all inexplicably categorized as campaign materials – that raised suspicions among investigators.
The investigation into Shoulders’ activities was set in motion when he himself approached the Evansville Police Department in October 2023, reporting suspicious charges on his campaign account. Initially claiming to have misplaced his debit card around April, Shoulders disavowed any knowledge of the contested purchases made between May and August. However, a deeper dive into the evidence presented conflicting information, including records indicating that he was the sole authorized user of the account and that the spending spree persisted even after he reported the card missing.
Email correspondence shed further light on Shoulders’ questionable financial decisions, with multiple eBay orders for rare baseball cards, such as 1965 and 1967 Mickey Mantle cards and a 1966 Willie Mays card, being traced back to his residence. It became apparent that the funds from his campaign account were being utilized for these personal indulgences, raising serious ethical and legal concerns.
Compounding his woes, Shoulders made an audacious attempt to secure over $26,000 in reimbursement from the fraud department of Old National Bank for the allegedly fraudulent charges. However, his efforts were rebuffed, resulting in a failed bid for compensation. Subsequently, just a month after this tumultuous incident, Shoulders tendered his resignation as commissioner, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to serve the county.
The fallout from this scandal was swift, with Shoulders finding himself in legal jeopardy and facing charges that encompassed attempted fraud and filing a false report. Following his arrest, he was released on a $500 bond and awaited his initial court appearance, as the community and stakeholders closely monitored the proceedings. Additionally, the affidavit unearthed discrepancies surrounding checks ostensibly marked as charitable contributions, which were instead diverted to a business account under Shoulders’ control.
The saga of Former Commissioner Ben Shoulders serves as a cautionary tale of the perils of financial mismanagement and the consequences that follow when public trust is betrayed. The once-respected official now finds himself entangled in a web of legal challenges, as the community grapples with the fallout of these startling revelations.
