Mike Wolanin | The Republic An exterior view of the Columbus Township Trustee’s Office off Washington Street in Columbus, Ind., pictured Thursday, May 29, 2025.
Bartholomew County Prosecutor Lindsey Holden-Kay said Tuesday a criminal investigation into former Columbus Township Trustee Ben Jackson has concluded, though authorities have yet to decide whether to pursue state or federal charges.
Holden-Kay said Tuesday that investigators from the Indiana State Police have completed the investigation, which includes suggested charges against one defendant.
Indiana State Police, as well as Bartholomew County authorities and the Indiana State Board of Accounts, had been investigating Jackson for several months. As part of the investigation, the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office had coordinated interviews, obtained search warrants and reviewed documents, officials said previously.
A special investigation by state auditors found that Jackson allegedly racked up more than $1.12 million in personal expenses on a township credit card over an eight-year period.
“I would say the investigation is complete,” Holden-Kay said. “My office is exploring the possibility of these charges being pursued federally.”
“At this time, the state police presented me with charges on one defendant,” Holden-Kay added later in the interview. “That doesn’t mean that can’t be changed. I don’t want to go too far in predicting that, but as of now, I’ve been presented an investigation into Ben Jackson.”
Currently, it is not known when to expect a decision on whether Jackson could face federal or state charges. Holden-Kay said she hopes a decision will be coming soon.
“I don’t want to put a timeline on it, because unfortunately, part of it is outside of my control,” Holden-Kay said. “But I am hoping to get a decision on federal versus state soon. …If the answer is the state is going to pursue this, then I will have charges on file right away.”
Holden-Kay previously said her office was potentially looking at “multiple felonies.”
Jackson, who resigned in November amid the investigation after serving as trustee since 2013, allegedly used the township credit card to pay for $657,831 in personal trips across 10 countries, $150,078 in retail purchases, $90,915 in tuition and school expenses for his children, $39,913 for personal utilities, among other things from 2016 to 2024, according to the SBOA report.
State records show that Columbus Township reported in its annual financial reports that it spent more than $900,000 from its township assistance fund to make credit card payments from 2016 to 2024. Township assistance, sometimes referred to as poor relief, is a program that provides emergency financial assistance to residents who are facing financial difficulties.
Current Columbus Township Trustee Kris Weisner said nobody was denied township assistance due to Jackson’s alleged misuse of funds.
“No one was denied assistance due to misuse of funds from inside the office,” Weisner said in earlier interviews. “…No services or monies were withheld from the public that needed those funds.”
Holden-Kay said several factors are generally taken into consideration as authorities decide between pursuing federal or state charges.
The first question that authorities generally consider is whether there are federal charges that may apply. The Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office works with Indiana state laws, while the U.S. Attorney’s Office works with federal laws.
“There are plenty of cases that we deal with here in Bartholomew County that could never be filed in federal court,” Holden-Kay said. “This is one that could be filed in federal court.”
Next, officials generally compare state and federal laws in terms of potential penalties, including incarceration and fines. Officials are also looking at the evidence against the suspect in the case.
“Anytime we’re looking at a case where we’re trying to decide should these charges be pursued stateside or federally, we are looking at which agency — Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office or the U.S. Attorney’s Office — is best equipped to get the best result,” Holden-Kay said.
“I’ve had some conversations with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, but I don’t know at this time if they are going to pursue those charges or if this office is,” Holden-Kay added. “…If we determine that the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office is the best agency to handle it, we’ll be filing charges here locally.”
