Trustee charged $36K to home improvement stores — presumably for renovations

EDITOR’S Notice: This is one of many stories on courtroom-ordered launch of Fairfield Township’s credit history card information and what these credit history card statements expose. Nonetheless, Trustee Taletha Coles did not turn in excess of the receipts for the credit score credit score card buys and there are missing statements..

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Fairfield Township Trustee Taletha Coles chalked up her $113,259 in credit rating card costs in excess of three years to her renovations at the township’s business on Wabash Avenue, but only $36,691.51 can be specifically tied to house enhancement buys.

A Journal & Courier’s ongoing evaluate of the courtroom-purchased release of the township’s credit history card statements showed that concerning January 2019 and July 2021, Coles charged $36,691.51 to neighborhood household improvement shops, as properly as to Just Blinds, Finest Invest in, and Cork Flooring.

Nonetheless, there are a number of months that do not have credit history card statements, and there are statements that are only two web pages. The files point out there are a number of missing web pages that ended up not supplied to the community.

The Journal & Courier emailed Coles for comment about the investing, such as additional than $2,000 of purchases at Finest Invest in in March 2020. Coles did not reply.

In May possibly 2019, Coles billed $984 to Just Blinds, presumably for the township’s place of work. She also billed more than $1,300 that month to Nationwide Small business Furniture. In June 2019, Coles charged $2,652.59 to Cork Flooring and $700 to Kirklands in Lafayette.

Much more on Taletha Coles: Fairfield Township taxpayers funding trustee’s meditation, massages, on the net understanding

The credit card statements show other costs to stores that may possibly force the renovation totals even bigger, but with out the receipts, which the J&C asked for, there is certainly no way to get a far more accurate accounting.

The Indiana Condition Law enforcement and the Point out Board of Accounts are investigating the township’s finances since Coles became trustee in January 2019.

Story carries on

Coles was managing for re-election Tuesday in the Democratic key. She faced competitiveness from Fairfield Township Board members Rocky Hession and Monica Casanova.

Republican Fairfield Township trustee candidate April O’Brien is operating unopposed and will face the Democratic most important winner.

In the previous, Coles blamed her large credit score card spending — like standard purchases at the Lafayette Sam’s Club — on the renovations. The Journal & Courier did not involve any Sam’s Club buys in the whole documented right now simply because there are not indications that the Sam’s Club purchases had anything at all to do with renovations.

Investing: Fairfield Township trustee charged $41K on credit card in 2021

In its Sept. 17, 2021, ask for to inspect general public paperwork, The Journal & Courier requested to inspect credit card receipts as perfectly as credit card statements.

The Journal & Courier filed a lawsuit on March 17, 2022, for Coles to produce the requested files. Coles supplied some month-to-month credit card statements, but there are pages lacking and months lacking from these statements.

Reach Ron Wilkins at [email protected]. Comply with on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This posting initially appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette trustee charged $36K to home advancement merchants