Fourth councilor calls for Mayor Hogsett to resign

INDIANAPOLIS -- Another Indianapolis City-County Councillor has called for Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett to resign amid criticism over his handling of sexual harassment allegations leveled against his former aide.




Crista Carlino, who serves as the chair of the council's investigative committee, called for Hogsett to step down during an Admin and Finance Committee meeting that was held Tuesday night. Carlino joins Democrats Jesse Brown and Andy Nielsen, as well as Republican Josh Bain, in publicly calling for Hogsett to resign as mayor.




During Tuesday night's meeting, Carlino also took the opportunity to call on City-County Council President Vop Osli to resign and for Ali Brown to resign as vice president.




Brown responded in a post on her Facebook page. The full statement can be viewed below:

"Councillor Crista Carlino knows full well that I had no involvement in defining the scope of the investigative committee. She is also fully aware of why I did not participate in the committee she chaired or in shaping the contract for the investigation. I confided in my caucus colleagues that this situation triggered severe trauma, including flashbacks to the night I was assaulted at 18 years old, in a freezing back alley. I spent years in therapy, including intensive EMDR treatment, just to survive what happened to me. Now, Crista is weaponizing that trauma for her own political gain. It's disgraceful. I am deeply hurt. I feel profoundly betrayed. But I will not stand by while falsehoods are spread, especially when I have the evidence to disprove them. This entire spectacle from Councilor Carlino is an exploitation of my pain and a mockery of serious issues. Crista Carlino should be ashamed."

Indianapolis City-County Council Vice President Ali Brown

The public calls for Hosgett's resignation follow the release of an independent report last month. Fisher Phillips, a Chicago-based law firm the council hired to conduct the investigation, concluded that Hogsett acted within appropriate guidelines. Cook was accused of sexual harassment or assault by at least three women during his time working in city government in 2017, 2020 and 2023.




The committee also voted to send Proposal No. 164, 2025, to the full council with a do-pass recommendation. The proposal centers on a request for an additional $300,000 to be appropriated to the Consolidated County General Fund to be paid to Fisher Phillips for additional work on its report.




This would be added to the original $150,000 payment the council paid the firm.




Lauren Roberts, who worked on Hogsett's last mayoral campaign and accused Cook of sexual harassment and coercion, was not present at Tuesday's meeting. She and Caroline Ellert, a previous member of Hogsett's campaign team, have been among the most vocal in criticizing Hogsett and the report.




Roberts was removed from a council meeting on June 9 after she continued speaking beyond the two-minute limit for speakers. She has since shared text messages Hogsett reportedly sent to her, with one exchange asking if her then-partner appreciated how "feisty" she was. She has also accused the report of omitting key details.




Despite the report finding that Hogsett acted within applicable laws when he was presented with these formal complaints, the report has led to concern among several council members.




The council has since responded by presenting a proposal intended to overhaul the city's harassment and human resource policies. This was one of six recommendations the firm provided to the council when delivering its findings.




For his part, Hogsett said he has no plans to resign, reiterating his desire to continue working as the city's mayor.




"I don't have any plans to resign," Hogsett told FOX59/CBS4 in a one-on-one interview last week. "There's still too much left to do."




Indianapolis City-County Councilor Frank Mascari said he hoped Tuesday's meeting provided a platform for those who wanted to be heard.




"Making decisions about how and where to spend taxpayers' dollars is a responsibility we all take seriously," Mascari said. "Understanding that the circumstances surrounding tonight's proposal required sensitivity and thought, we hope tonight's Admin and Finance Committee meeting provided those who wished to speak with the opportunity to be heard. We will continue to address the concerns expressed by those who testified tonight and encourage you to contact your city councilor with additional thoughts."





via: https://fox59.com/news/fourth-councilor-calls-for-mayor-hogsett-to-resign/