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The Indiana Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against Cindy Mowery, the leader of the Marion County Agricultural Fair Association’s board and a prominent player in local GOP politics, for more than $12,000.
The suit stems from a March 2024 State Board of Accounts investigation that found she used taxpayer dollars to pay for home improvement.
Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office filed the complaint against Mowery in a Marion County Superior Court on March 7. It alleges that she wrongfully or neglectfully used public money and enriched herself with public funds by using Marion County Fair Board money to pay painters for work done at her home.
The amount sought in the suit includes the $4,500 used to pay the painters and $7,648 used to pay for the SBOA investigation.
According to the SBOA investigation, a check dated Nov. 13, 2021, for $7,500 was given to painters who had done work at the Marion County Fairgrounds. Investigators found that $3,000 was used to paint a lodge on the fairgrounds property, while the remaining $4,500 was used to pay work done at Mowery’s home, including painting siding on the home and another building on her property, removing mildew and staining the deck.
Mowery did not respond to a text or call from IBJ seeking comment. An attorney for her listed in court documents did not return a call from IBJ in time for publication. Mowery and her attorneys have previously denied the claims made in the SBOA investigation.
Her attorneys have requested more time to respond to the allegations in court.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office also has an active forgery case against the fair’s former executive director, Jeremy Tevebaugh, for writing the check in question. The state investigation was prompted by Tevebaugh’s complaints.
Tevebaugh, who is not a party to the state’s lawsuit, told IBJ on Friday that Mowery told him to write the check, which he did.
“I knew it was wrong,” he said, “and that’s why I reported it.”
Tevebaugh has a history of legal fights with his former employer. In summer 2022, the board sued Tevebaugh for failing to evacuate fair property following his termination. In a counterclaim, Tevebaugh accused Mowery of sexual harassment—charges she denied. That lawsuit and the counterclaim were later dismissed.
The Marion County Fair is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and receives about $100,000 in grants from the city annually. In fall 2021, Mowery appeared before a council committee to request, and received, an additional $50,000 for improvements to the fair grounds.
A month after the additional funding was proposed, the $7,500 payment left the Marion County Fair Board’s account, the state investigation found.
The Attorney General’s Office is also seeking to recover the funds through the Marion County Fair Board’s insurer. Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America insured the board for up to $1 million annually, covering any loss due to wrongful acts, according to court documents. IBJ has reached out to the insurance company for comment.
Paul Annee, an Indianapolis City-County Councilor, has served as executive director of the fair since Tevebaugh’s departure in 2022. IBJ has reached out to Annee for comment.
Mowery has long been involved in Marion County Republican politics. She currently works as the Republican leader of the Marion County Board of Voter Registration. She previously served as the treasurer of the county party, but did not seek to keep the seat when the party reorganized in March.
The Marion County Republican Party Chair is the appointing party for her position on the Board of Voter Registration. IBJ has requested comment from Natalie Goodwin, who took that post just last month, on the lawsuit.
In addition to the funds used to paint Mowery’s home, the SBOA investigation also found deficiencies in internal controls, inadequate financial record-keeping and a lack of oversight by the Marion County Agricultural Fair Association.
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