EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Fourth Ward City Council member Tanisha Carothers has officially resigned, confirmed Councilman Ben Trockman on Friday.
Carothers, who was arrested in February, faces charges of fraud and falsifying election documents. Authorities allege she misrepresented her residency, claiming she lived within city limits when she did not—making her ineligible to run for office.
Police reported that Carothers maintained two leases simultaneously and claimed she forgot one automatically renewed. State law requires council candidates to live in the city for at least one year and in their ward for six months before the election.
A day after her arrest, Carothers pled not guilty. She is scheduled for a Change of Plea Hearing on January 14, 2026.
Following her resignation, Carothers issued a statement:
“I entered public office to work for people, not to participate in a political machine. After much thought and prayer, I have made the difficult decision to resign from my position on the Evansville City Council serving the Fourth Ward, effectively immediately.
My focus now returns to the work I have devoted more than twenty years of my life to—advocating for families, supporting underserved communities, and creating meaningful impact without the noise, tactics, or barriers of politics.
I maintain my posture of innocence and stand by my position that the pursuance of all legal proceedings was politically motivated. However, I am choosing not to invest my time or energy into a culture rooted in political retaliation. This transition is not a retreat, but a return to my purpose.”
Councilman Trockman added:
“I have received Councilor Carothers’ resignation. There will be a caucus to identify the next Fourth Ward representative in the coming weeks.”
