The Republic photo A for sale sign and open house sign is shown at 1802 Laurel Drive, owned by former Columbus Township Trustee Ben Jackson, his wife and two others.
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A home owned by former Columbus Township Trustee Ben Jackson, his wife and two others has been put on the market despite a court order temporarily barring the couple from disposing of property.
The home, located at 1802 Laurel Drive, was listed for sale for $375,000 on July 1 — just six days after a special judge issued a temporary financial restraining order that bars the couple from, among other things, disposing of property. An open house has been scheduled for Sunday.
The Bartholomew County Recorder’s Office confirmed that Ben and Amy Jackson are currently listed as owners of the home. The other two owners are Douglas and Judy Bonnell. The home does not have a mortgage.
The listing also comes about 1.5 months after a special investigation by state auditors found that Ben Jackson had allegedly racked up $1.12 million in personal expenses on a township credit card over an eight-year period.
The Indiana State Board of Accounts also found that Ben Jackson allegedly used the township credit card for $18,990 in home improvement projects — including $8,198 for backyard deck and landscaping from April to June 2020 on the home listed for sale.
The auditor’s report also includes photos of the work taken from Ben Jackson’s Facebook page.
Ben Jackson also allegedly used the township credit card for $4,163 for carpeting, $2,595 for plumbing, $1,353 for landscaping, $1,261 for electric work and $999 for flooring, according to the report.
Currently, it is unclear if either of the Jacksons notified the special judge in their divorce case before the home was placed on the market or whether the special judge would view the sale of the home as a violation of the temporary financial restraining order.
Brown Circuit Magistrate Judge Jennifer Wilson Reagan, who is serving as special judge in the Jacksons’ divorce case and issued the order, declined to comment on the matter, according to court officials, who said, “the code of judicial conduct prohibits the judge” from commenting.
Amy Jackson’s attorney, Sean Thomasson, was out of the office and unvailable for comment on Thursday. His staff said the office has a policy of not commenting on ongoing cases.
The order from Wilson Reagan states that the couple is temporarily barred from “transferring, encumbering, concealing or in any other way disposing of any property except in the usual course of business and/or the necessities of life.”
The couple is also prohibited from changing beneficiaries on any life insurance policies, employment benefits, IRA or 401(k) accounts they currently have, removing any personal property from the marital residence or incurring any debts that the couple would be jointly liable for.
Amy Jackson filed for divorce from Ben Jackson on May 27, citing “an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage” just six days after the Indiana State Board of Accounts published findings from its investigation into the former trustee’s usage of the township credit card.
In her petition for divorce, Amy Jackson asked for a provisional hearing to “determine, among other things, payment of bills and possession of the marital residence.” The petition also states that the couple was “physically separated” at the time of filing.
Wilson Reagan has scheduled a preliminary hearing for July 22.
Amy Jackson stopped by The Republic’s newsroom on Thursday to question why her divorce case was newsworthy and being covered by the newspaper. She refused to answer any questions about her knowledge of her husband’s actions or the accusations made in the state audit, saying she could not respond without her attorney present.
The sales listing for the home states that the property includes two living spaces on a 0.57-acre lot with a fully-fenced backyard, chicken coop and garden.
The main living space has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The second living space includes a living area that could serve as “an in-law suite, room for extended family or an option for an adult child,” according to the listing.
The SBOA investigation found that Ben Jackson had accumulated $1.12 million in personal expenses on the township credit card over an eight-year period, including $657,831 on vacations for himself, his wife and their adult children, as well as $150,078 in retail purchases and $90,915 in college tuition for their children, among other charges.
Ben Jackson allegedly used the township credit card for $22,036 in airfare for Amy Jackson, according to the report. The SBOA has also asked Ben Jackson to repay the township just over $1 million for unauthorized personal use of the township credit card.
Ben Jackson resigned in November amid the investigation after over a decade serving as Columbus Township trustee.
Currently, federal and county authorities are weighing whether to pursue state or federal charges against Ben Jackson.
Bartholomew County Prosecutor Lindsey Holden-Kay said previously a criminal investigation into Ben Jackson had concluded, though authorities had yet to decide whether to pursue state or federal charges.
Currently, it is not known when to expect a decision on whether Ben Jackson could face federal or state charges, though Holden-Kay said she hopes a decision will be coming soon.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana previously told The Republic that she could “neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation” into Ben Jackson.
The investigation into Columbus Township’s credit card usage was launched in November after the SBOA received information from an anonymous source alleging that then-Trustee Jackson had repeatedly purchased first-class airline tickets for himself, his wife and others, according to the report.
