Hogsett’s Inappropriate Conduct Timeline and Councilors’ Budget Win

Friday, June 13, 2025

Key Takeaways from the Hogsett Scandal:

• May 29: A report exposes serious failures of leadership and ethics by Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration:

  • Mayor Hogsett protected his longtime aide, Thomas Cook, despite multiple reports of inappropriate relationships & sexual harassment involving city employees.

  • When HR recommended Cook be fired, Hogsett allowed him to remain on the payroll for 68 days—enough time for Cook to secure city contract work through his insider relationships.

• June 5: The IndyStar published a bombshell report revealing:

  • Mayor Hogsett’s late-night texts to young female city employees—these messages were omitted from the official investigation’s report.

  • The city-county council spent nearly $500,000 on an investigation that now appears to have been whitewashed by Hogsett’s legal team.

• June 9: We watched as a victim of the Hogsett administration's harassment was hauled out of a City-County Council meeting, at the direction of Council President Vop Osili, while she tried to share her story.

How Republican Councilors are Taking Meaningful Action:

Councilor Minority Leader Michael-Paul Hart is taking the lead by demanding answers to these questions. Read the full release here.

• Why were text messages from Mayor Hogsett omitted from the final report?

• What evidence was submitted, reviewed, or excluded?

• How did Fisher Phillips define the scope of their investigation?

• Why did the investigators not use their subpoena power?

Councilor Josh Bainis calling on Mayor Hogsett to resign. Read his full statementhere. 

This is about a broken system shielding the mayor from accountability. The victims and citizens of Indianapolis deserve a real and thorough investigation of this scandal.

In Addition to Holding Mayor Hogsett Accountable:

Our Republican councilors secured a smart budget amendment to protect taxpayers from wasteful spending. Read more about the amendment below:

• Amendment 3: This amendment simply asks the Office of Public Health and Safety to provide a clear, detailed scope of work from the Indianapolis Foundation before public dollars are committed. Once the plan is in hand, the funding will follow. That’s smart, accountable governance.

What We're Reading

REPUBLICANS ARE LEADING, READ THE HEADLINES:

• WIBC: GOP Councilors Demand Oversight After Hogsett Report

• FOX 59: Third Indianapolis City-County councilor calls on Hogsett to resign

• WTHR: 3rd councilor calls for Indianapolis mayor to resign over sexual misconduct investigation

• WRTV: City-County Councilors raise concerns about Hogsett investigation omissions

• Indianapolis Star: 'We won't allow facts to be buried': Hogsett investigative report omissions raise concerns

HOGSETT’S LATE-NIGHT TEXTS: Mayor Joe Hogsett’s inappropriate late-night texts were excluded from the final report from the law firm's investigation. Read the full report in the IndyStar.