Concerning evidence suggests that an Indiana Senator may be receiving money funneled from local car dealership Ray Skillman — in order to pass legislation that would severely hurt public transportation in Indianapolis, and boost car sales.

Aaron Freeman is a Republican Indiana Senator in the 32nd district. He was elected in 2016 and previously served on the Indianapolis City-County Council from 2010-2016.

Freeman recently introduced legislation to the Indiana Senate that could potentially strip IndyGo of millions of dollars, and stop the Purple and Blue Bus Lines planned for the future.

The proposed legislation would re-emphasize a 2014 law that would require IndyGo to raise private dollars to help finance its mass transit system and future bus lines.

IndyGo stated the proposal would significantly threaten the status of the upcoming Purple and Blue Lines, and will hinder the organization as they launch a new fund-raising foundation.

The Ray Skillman Connection

Ray Skillman Group, one of the largest Indianapolis Car dealerships, has several connections and stakes with Aaron Freeman and the future IndyGo Blue Line — which has a Skillman dealership located on the proposed route.

The Skillman / Freeman connection goes back to 2015, when Freeman was running for the Indianapolis City-County Council. In a leaked Pre-Election report, it is revealed that 11 Ray Skillman Employees donated the maximum amount of $2,500 to the Aaron Freeman Campaign.

Aaron Freeman also received $63,000 in campaign contributions from Ray Skillman between 2016-2019 for “Freeman for Indiana” — his Indiana Senate Campaign.

Other interesting connections include a Birthday Fundraiser for Aaron Freeman hosted by Ray Skillman, and a Corvette that was allegedly given to Freeman at a steep discount from the car dealership.

Corvette allegedly given to Aaron Freeman by Skillman at steep discount

Perhaps even more concerning, Freeman has previously advocated for legislation that would help car dealers avoid investigation of additional fees and violate state law.

One Republican state lawmaker, Sen. Aaron Freeman, told WRTV-TV Channel 6 that the state has a “gentleman’s agreement” with car dealerships, agreeing not to investigate document fees under $200 even though they violate state law. Freeman’s press secretary told IBJ he was unavailable for comment. Excerpt on Aaron Freeman assisting in car dealerships violating State Laws

Social Media Backlash Begins.

Critics on social media have already started to speak out against the perceived nefarious connections between Freeman and Skillman, with some vowing to not shop with the dealership again.

After seeing this Ray Skillman Chevrolet will not be getting any more of my business. — Tracy Cummins (@indianapolis420) February 29, 2020

“Ray Skeeeeeeelman. Where we stock ‘em deep, and bribe the crap out of state lawmakers to protect our profits at the expense of the public good!” https://t.co/dZq6Mke2KN — Matt Gonzales (@MattGonzales) February 29, 2020

I've bought my last two cars from Skillman but no more. I'm not an Indygo user but even I recognize that a viable public transportation option benefits all of us. This is a blatant attack on the least fortunate among us and Skillman and Freeman ought to be ashamed of themselves. — Eric NuM3R1K (@NuM3R1K) February 29, 2020

A Black Indy LIVE source with a familiarity of the situation stated that Freeman was “owned” by Skillman. They also suggested that Freeman’s actions are part of a concerted effort to defund IndyGo in general.

Ray Skillman also manages several “Buy Here Pay Here lots” — which have been identified as being predatory and targetting low-income residents with bad credit who might opt for Public Transportation with IndyGo.

At the time of this story, neither Senator Aaron Freeman nor Ray Skillman Autogroup have commented on these reports.

Black Indy Live STAFF Black Indy LIVE has been the #1 Source of Black News in The State of Indiana Since 2017. Our work has been referenced by publications such as: The Atlanta Black Star, Blavity, The New York Post, PopCulture.com, The Inquisitr, Clutch Points, and many others. See author's posts

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