Massive debt and abuse allegations: Inside the divorce of a Peoria city councilman

The estranged wife of Zach Oyler testified in divorce proceedings that the Peoria city councilman had physically and emotionally abused her during their marriage.

Heather Oyler said under oath in Peoria County Court that Zach Oyler had been abusive , echoing accusations she made on her blog earlier this year. She also reiterated a claim that Oyler hid her in their home so she could not be found by investigators while he was being prosecuted in a domestic violence case.

However, Zach Oyler was not asked about the alleged abuse when he took the witness stand under a barrage of questioning from Heather Oyler's attorney, Norman McGill.

In the 2019 domestic violence case , Zach Oyler agreed to a rarely used Alford Plea. He was ordered to pay fines and be under court supervision. In an Alford Plea, the defendant maintains their innocence but also recognizes there is enough evidence that could convince a judge or jury to find the defendant guilty.

"Divorce is a painful experience for all involved and even more challenging to live it out in public," Zach Oyler said in a statement to the Journal Star about the divorce proceedings. "There are most certainly two sides to every story and unfortunately there was not time for my side to be heard on Tuesday. Heather's testimony was filled with inaccuracies as even others involved will attest. There is no doubt this marriage and lengthy multi-year divorce process has created significant financial burden which I alone have been diligently working to resolve.

"It is not my character to publicly speak negatively of someone else and I will continue to let my successful business and sterling public reputation speak for themselves as was discussed in court," Oyler added. "I hope for the sake of both of us this can come to a fair conclusion in the near future and continue to wish her nothing but the best."

Zach Oyler's attorney, Joseph Borsberry, is scheduled to make his case and cross-examine witnesses at the next hearing scheduled for October.

More: Peoria councilman's wife claims he hid her from investigators after domestic dispute

Deep financial troubles in Oyler marriage

At the hearing July 16, the questioning was centered around who is responsible for the "financial disaster" of the Oyler marriage, as McGill described it.

Testimony and evidence delivered in court painted a picture of a marriage that involved deep financial troubles. The couple admittedly spent beyond their means for years, running up tremendous amounts of debt on credit cards, unpaid taxes and personal loans.

McGill asked Zach Oyler questions about how the city councilman and his wife had managed to rack up nearly $300,000 combined in debts and unpaid taxes. The total did not include mortgages.

Zach Oyler testified that spending got "out of control" during their marriage.

He personally owes roughly $145,000 in unpaid taxes to the IRS and about $12,000 to the state in back taxes. The unpaid taxes are on top of more than $42,000 in credit card debts and tens of thousands in personal loans from friends and family, according to a financial affidavit presented by McGill in court.

More: Estranged wife of Peoria councilman says he coaxed her to lie about domestic violence case

Wife's emotional trauma

Both Heather and Zach Oyler drive luxury vehicles, a Cadillac and a Mercedes. Zach Oyler said in court that his wife has not changed her spending habits or lifestyle despite the couple's financial trouble.

Heather Oyler said in court that she does not have a permanent address or any source of income, and is spending most of her time working in "advocacy."

When asked why she has not held a job in the past four years, Heather Oyler testified that she is unable to work because of the emotional trauma of the marriage and the death of her mother in a carbon monoxide leak a few years ago.

Heather Oyler had not yet filed a financial affidavit with the court as of the hearing. However, she said she didn't have any credit card debt of her own, adding she spent the past few years paying off nearly $15,000 in personal credit card debt.

Zach Oyler, who works as a realtor, was elected to an at-large seat on the Peoria City Council in 2017. He sits on multiple boards and commissions including the Downtown Advisory Committee and the Land Bank Board, among others.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Massive debt and abuse allegations: Inside the divorce of a Peoria city councilman