Former Hogsett aide Thomas Cook out of a job after women speak out in IndyStar story

Thomas Cook, Mayor Joe Hogsett’s former right-hand man, was removed from his job after an IndyStar investigation published Friday revealed a pattern of pressuring younger female employees into intimate relationships.

"As of today, Thomas Cook is no longer with the firm," Roger Harvey, a spokesperson for Bose McKinney & Evans, said in a statement.

Cook had been a partner at Bose, working in the Indianapolis firm's site selection and economic incentives group.

Indianapolis elected leaders on both sides of the political spectrum expressed outrage over the story Friday.

“These allegations are certainly disturbing and we need to get to the bottom of them,” Brian Mowery, the Republican minority leader on the Indianapolis City-County Council, told IndyStar. “All employees deserve to feel safe at work, and should certainly not have to worry about predatory behavior from a superior. It is beyond disappointing that the Hogsett administration has known about these allegations for years and failed to act in a serious manner. Employees of this city and taxpayers deserve better.”

City-County Council President Vop Osili, a Democrat, also called the allegations disturbing.

"I am deeply disturbed & angry to learn of the predatory & abusive behavior that has been alleged by multiple victims against a former city Chief of Staff," Osili said on X, formerly known as Twitter. "I’m grateful for the courage of the women who have spoken out to share their truth, & I stand with them as they seek to heal."

The women in the report accuse Cook of abusing his power for nearly a decade while serving under Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett, including five years as chief deputy mayor, the No. 2 position in city government. The city conducted three investigations into Cook's relationships. He resigned from his city position and started working at Bose after the second investigation but led Hogsett's 2023 mayoral campaign in an unpaid capacity until the third investigation, when he was also removed from that role.

Cook, presented with IndyStar's reporting, provided a statement apologizing "to all those involved." He didn't respond to specific allegations but said: "Dating back a decade, I had consensual relationships that violated a trust placed in me. At no time did I seek to use my professional position to further those personal relationships."

Hogsett released a statement Friday condemning his former chief deputy mayor's conduct and reiterating that "each complaint, at the time it was reported, was taken seriously, investigated, and resulted in sanctions.

"This Administration has made continued efforts to improve the sexual harassment training and protocols available to support City employees," the statement continues. "Sexual harassment training was made a mandatory requirement for supervisors, and that requirement was cemented in City code in 2019. Sexual harassment reporting protocols were updated as recently as 2023. This Administration remains committed to protecting the safety and wellbeing of every employee, and we will always seek ways to improve our policies and best practices."

Michael McDaniel is city hall reporter for IndyStar. Follow him on X/Twitter at @themikemcdaniel or email him at mmcdaniel@indystar.com.