The Indiana State Ethics Commission on Thursday approved a settlement requiring former Public Safety Secretary Jennifer-Ruth Green to pay a $10,000 civil fine, closing the ethics case against her — but potential criminal charges remain under review by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
The bipartisan, five-member commission voted unanimously to accept the agreement during its public meeting, adopting findings that Green violated Indiana’s political activity and misuse of state property rules.
Approval of the settlement ends the ethics commission’s jurisdiction over the case.
But officials confirmed during Thursday’s meeting that the Indiana Office of Inspector General has already referred the matter for criminal review, and that process remains ongoing.
Elaine Vullmahn, chief counsel for enforcement at the inspector general’s office, pointed commissioners to a section within Indiana Code that mandates the OIG to forward evidence of potential criminal activity to the appropriate prosecuting attorney.
Findings in Green’s case were sent to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office for grand jury screening on Oct. 30.
Vullmahn said the referral included investigative records concerning potential violations of Indiana’s statutes related to ghost employment, retaliation and official misconduct, adding that the prosecutor’s office “will be reviewing the investigative materials and render a decision at the conclusion of their review.”
It remains unclear if or when Green — who is also an Indiana congressional candidate — could face criminal charges, however. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to the Indiana Capital Chronicle’s request for comment Thursday.
Green’s attorney, Jennifer Lukemeyer, declined to comment on possible criminal charges but said after the meeting that the commission’s decision “is a total victory for Jennifer-Ruth Green.”
Green’s congressional campaign echoed that characterization in a lengthy statement released after the meeting, calling the settlement a “major legal victory” and sharply criticizing the OIG.
The Committee to Elect Jennifer-Ruth Green said the inspector general “attempted to throw the kitchen sink at her based on a politically motivated sham of an investigation,” and alleged the office “completely caved for a settlement to save face with the ethics commission.”
Details from the ethics settlement
Green admitted in the settlement that she violated Indiana’s political activity rule when she had state employees generate content and proofread posts for her “Elect Jennifer-Ruth Green” Facebook account.
She also admitted to violating the misuse of state property rule by using — and directing a state employee to use — her assigned state vehicle, a 2024 Chevrolet Suburban, for personal tasks.
With approval of the agreement, Green waived her right to a public hearing.
The former state official is required to pay the $10,000 fine within 60 days of the commission’s approval. But the settlement explicitly bars the commission from imposing any additional sanctions.
Under the state ethics law, commissioners could have imposed a higher penalty, like more serious fines or a ban on future state employment.
Vullmahn told commissioners that state law allows fines of up to three times the benefit received for ethics violations. Investigators calculated that state employees spent time worth about $1,300 creating and posting political content for Green, and that she logged roughly 7,000 personal miles on her state-issued vehicle — a combined benefit of about $5,000.
“The $10,000 fine represents approximately two times the total personal benefit received,” Vullmahn said, calling it “a fair, appropriate and proportionate response.”
One commissioner asked whether the inspector general considered barring Green from future state employment as part of the settlement.
Vullmahn said that option was considered but deemed unlikely to be relevant, given that Green had been an appointed official and that “any basic background check would find this information.”
Green absent from ethics meeting
Green abruptly resigned from her cabinet post in early September, but the inspector general had been investigating her conduct months earlier, including concerns about her use of state employees and state property for political and personal purposes.
A remediation agreement signed earlier in the summer — and later obtained by the Capital Chronicle — showed state officials had attempted to address those concerns internally before Green ultimately stepped down.
The document outlined allegations that Green directed state employees to draft and edit political content during work hours; used a state-issued vehicle for personal and political travel; and held campaign-related meetings in state facilities.
It also raised concerns about possible retaliation against employees who cooperated with the inspector general’s investigation, warning that substantiated violations could result in further discipline, including termination.
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The remediation agreement warned that if additional violations were substantiated, Green could face further discipline, including termination.
The inspector general filed a formal ethics complaint after Green’s resignation and originally alleged additional violations, including retaliation against an individual who provided information to investigators. Under the settlement, though, Green admitted to only two of the four alleged ethics violations.
Vullmahn cited aggravating factors considered by the OIG, including Green’s senior leadership role, the pattern and duration of her misconduct and the impact on public trust.
“As secretary of public safety … Green held one of the highest leadership roles in state government,” she said. “These positions carried significant responsibility overseeing the agencies tasked with law enforcement, emergency response and safety policy for Indiana families.”
Vullmahn said the inspector general weighed mitigating factors, too, including Green’s cooperation with investigators, acceptance of responsibility and her voluntary resignation.
Green was not present at Thursday’s meeting, but Lukemeyer, her attorney, told commissioners that further review of evidence revealed “evidentiary challenges” to portions of the original complaint and said the settlement reflected that reassessment.
Green also submitted a personal statement to the commission, which Lukemeyer read aloud.
“As a leader, I know that I am responsible for what happens within the domain over which I led,” Green’s statement said. “The violations of the ethics code are aberrant behavior for me. The violations were mistakes … not made with any malicious intent or for gain.”
The violations were mistakes … not made with any malicious intent or for gain.Former Indiana Public Safety Secretary Jennifer-Ruth Green
In its post-meeting statement, Green’s campaign said her legal team presented “affidavits, recordings, text messages, emails, and phone records” that it said undermined the inspector general’s allegations and prompted the move to settle.
The campaign described the admitted violations as “minor” and said Green’s use of her personal Facebook page and the state vehicle had been “explicitly approved” by her government attorney. Green’s campaign said the OIG “never bothered” to interview that attorney “during its sham investigation.”
The statement further accused the inspector general of attempting to “smear” Green — portraying her as “immoral,” “deviant,” and as a criminal — and framed the investigation as politically motivated.
“Jennifer-Ruth accepted this settlement and responsibility for minor violations because she has integrity, and she recognized that justice and fairness were unlikely in an environment where pursuing full vindication would require a prolonged legal battle costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, against vindictive actors wielding unlimited taxpayer-funded resources to attack her reputation, character, and career,” the statement said. “She walks away with her integrity fully intact and immense pride in the work she performed across Indiana alongside dedicated public servants.”
“The people of Indiana now face a clear choice: believe a decorated combat veteran who has devoted her life to service or believe political hacks and faceless bureaucrats motivated by petty grievances and personal career advancement,” the statement continued. “This episode should serve as a warning to every Hoosier. If powerful government actors are willing to weaponize the state of Indiana against Jennifer-Ruth Green — just as the federal government was weaponized against President Trump — they are more than capable of doing the same if they seek to destroy you.”
Green’s resignation marked the first departure of a cabinet-level official in Gov. Mike Braun’s administration.
Following her appointment in January, Green’s responsibilities included oversight of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Correction, the Criminal Justice Institute and the Parole Board.
Despite the pending ethics charges, Green announced in October that she will run again for Indiana’s 1st Congressional District. She first challenged Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan in 2022 but was defeated.
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.
