Ben Shoulders, previously a Vanderburgh County Commissioner, has found himself embroiled in a scandal involving the alleged misuse of campaign funds. A probable cause affidavit filed in Vanderburgh Circuit Court has shed light on the accusations against Shoulders, indicating that he used over $41,000 from his “Shoulders for Commissioner” account to purchase high-value baseball cards on eBay.
Among the noteworthy acquisitions were a $235 Johnny Bench rookie card and a $570 Satchel Paige card, falsely listed as campaign-related expenses like “signs” and “banner” on financial reports. While most of the expenditures seemed legitimate, the inclusion of baseball card purchases, alongside nearly $500 in Pokémon cards, labeled as “signs” from a local store, drew suspicion from investigators.
The controversy unfolded when Shoulders himself reported fraudulent activities on his campaign account to the Evansville Police Department in October 2023. He claimed to have lost his debit card in April and disavowed knowledge of the charges made between May and August. However, further scrutiny exposed contradictory evidence, including records pointing to Shoulders as the sole authorized user of the account, with transactions continuing post his reported card loss.
Email correspondence disclosed multiple eBay orders for rare baseball cards, like 1965 and 1967 Mickey Mantle cards and a 1966 Willie Mays card, all delivered to Shoulders’ residence. The authorities alleged that these transactions were funded through his campaign account.
Additionally, records highlighted an endeavor by Shoulders to reclaim over $26,000 from Old National Bank’s fraud department for the purported fraudulent charges, a request that was declined. Following this failed attempt, he resigned from his commissioner position, expressing, “It has truly been an honor to serve our great county as a public servant.”
Consequently, Shoulders faced arrest and charges involving attempted fraud and filing a false report, ultimately released on a $500 bond until his initial court appearance. Moreover, the affidavit uncovered irregularities concerning checks designated as charitable contributions, instead redirected to a business account under Shoulders’ control.
