Former Commissioner Ben Shoulders Accused of Using Campaign Funds for High-Value Baseball Card Purchases

Former Vanderburgh County Commissioner Ben Shoulders has come under scrutiny for allegedly using tens of thousands of campaign dollars to purchase high-value baseball cards. According to an affidavit filed in Vanderburgh Circuit Court, Shoulders reportedly spent over $41,000 on eBay, using a debit card tied to his “Shoulders for Commissioner” account. He then allegedly mislabeled these expenditures on campaign finance reports.

Among the questionable purchases, Shoulders is said to have bought a $235 Johnny Bench rookie card and a $570 Satchel Paige card, disguising them as campaign expenses marked “signs” and “banner.” The investigation revealed that most of the campaign’s expenditures appeared standard, but these entries, alongside nearly $500 spent on Pokémon cards marked as “signs” at a local store, raised concerns.

Further probing uncovered emails showing confirmation of numerous eBay purchases, including rare and valuable cards such as a 1965 Mickey Mantle card, a 1967 Mickey Mantle card, and a 1966 Willie Mays card. All were purchased using the campaign account and shipped to Shoulders’ home.

Police began investigating after Shoulders himself reported “fraudulent” charges to Evansville Police Department Chief Phil Smith in October 2023. Shoulders claimed he lost his debit card around April and was unaware of who might have made the purchases between May and August. However, subsequent police work found evidence that contradicted his claims, including confirmation that Shoulders was the only authorized user of the account and that purchases continued after he reported the card lost.

The affidavit detailed that Shoulders allegedly attempted to recover over $26,000 from Old National Bank’s fraud department in late 2023, but his request was denied. Shortly afterward, in early 2024, Shoulders resigned from his position, expressing in a public statement, “It has truly been an honor to serve our great county as a public servant.”

Shoulders was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including attempted fraud and filing a fraudulent report. He was released on a $500 bond and awaited his initial court hearing. The affidavit cited additional financial irregularities, such as payments claimed as charitable donations that were instead deposited into one of Shoulders’ business accounts.