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A Marion County grand jury is investigating a case that appears to be related to conflict-of-interest and harassment allegations made against former members of Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration.
The group heard testimony in an investigation related to “unlawful touching and/or unlawful communication” and the “unlawful pecuniary interest in a contract of a public servant and/or former public servant,” according to the fourth quarter report for 2025, which the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office provided to IBJ. The grand jury heard the testimony on five dates in November and December.
The Indianapolis Star first reported on the document, which doesn’t directly name any individuals. However, it notes that “unlawful touching and/or unlawful communication” occurred between March 2019 and December 2023, which includes a period of time in which three women say Hogsett’s former Chief of Staff Thomas Cook harassed them.
Cook also departed his position at the city of Indianapolis to work for a local law firm representing developers with interest in city contracts while maintaining a romantic relationship with the city’s top development official, Scarlett Andrews.
An investigation by Mirror Indy and the IndyStar catalogued instances in which the pair appeared to use the relationship to award developers represented by Cook thousands in taxpayer dollars.
Neither Cook nor Andrews responded to IBJ requests for comment by publication. IBJ could not independently verify reporting from the IndyStar that connected the grand jury’s investigation directly to the pair.
Grand juries, which investigate crimes and subpoena witnesses and the accused before charges are filed, are intended to be secretive. Indiana law creates penalties for unauthorized disclosure of grand jury information.
Neither the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office or the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office would provide details to IBJ or confirm reporting that links the investigation to former Indianapolis employees.
A spokesperson for Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said that due to the confidential nature of the grand jury, “we cannot disclose the subject of an investigation unless/until an indictment is issued.”
A spokeswoman for the Mayor’s Office provided a statement saying simply, “It would be inappropriate for anyone to comment on grand jury proceedings.”
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