Police say Evansville councilwoman lied about meeting requirements, her lawyer disagrees

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - Evansville 4th Ward City Council member Tanisha Carothers made her first court appearance Wednesday, entering a not-guilty plea on fraud and other charges.

It comes a day after she was arrested.

[Previous story: Evansville Council woman arrested on fraud charges]

Evansville police say she did not meet legal requirements to run for the 4th ward spot on the council, and that she falsified a document in order to receive an employment benefit to which she was not entitled.

In addition to fraud, Carothers is charged with defacing, falsifying or destroying an election document.

Carothers’ attorney, Jonathan Danks, strongly disagrees with the charges.

“She has denied all the allegations against her,” Danks said. “She has entered a plea of not guilty. We look forward to a jury trial where we feel confident she will be exonerated of all charges.”

According to an affidavit, police say Carothers lived on Pebble Place Drive, outside the city limits, until August of 2024. Although that home has an Evansville address, it is not in the city limits.

According to state law, a council candidate must live in the city limits for a year and their ward for six month before the election.

“It’s our position that that residence in no way bars her from her currently elected seat,” Danks said.

Police say she had another address on Washington Avenue, which she moved into on or around May 17th, 2024.

That is in the 4th ward, but that date is just under six months before the caucus that elected her to the 4th ward seat.

Danks says they’re independently investigating the timing of when she moved back to the 4th ward.

In the meantime, Danks says Carothers will continue to serve on the city council, as she is innocent until proven guilty, and he remains confident in her innocence.

“They’re absolutely wrong that she does not meet the residency requirements,” Danks said.

According to the affidavit, this investigation started after Angela Bullock, who was also up for the 4th Ward seat, reported to police that Carothers lied on her paperwork. Bullock has also filed a complaint against Carothers.

We received a statement on the matter from Bullock. You can read that below:

“For years I had been a public servant in various capacities in Emergency Services and at that time, I had taken an Oath to protect and serve the public. I never had any political aspiration. I was encouraged and inspired by a neighbor to get involved and run for Democrat Precinct Committeeperson in the 4th Ward and was seated in that position by 4th Ward Voters. Becoming involved in our Neighborhood Association, I was voted onto a Task Force to address a serious issue affecting our neighborhood. When Burton’s seat became vacant, I was encouraged to run for the caucus by neighbors and friends in our community, which I did.

First and foremost, I want to make it known that this situation is NOT personal! I was informed of issues with residency qualification by many in the community and strangers that there were issues with both other candidates that applied for the caucus. I tried every pathway to prevent it from coming to this point yet here we are today. There must be compliance with our laws and ordinances. I have followed the policy, guidelines, ordinances, and laws in addressing this situation. While there are supposed to be checks and balances to ensure a candidate is qualified for office, the system failed, and this should be concerning to all citizens of Evansville of any political party affiliation or none.

I am obligated to follow the laws myself and swore that my statements were true when the candidacy forms were notarized and filed being qualified for the City Council Seat in the 4th Ward. I am an elected Precinct Committeeperson in the 4th Ward, I have lived within the city limits of Evansville for 1 year, I have been a property owner and resident of the 4th Ward for over 6 months, and I am a registered voter in the 4th Ward. These residency requirements are vital to providing effective representation. Honesty, integrity, and transparency is the foundation of truly representing your constituents.”

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