Micah Beckwith's $87K SUV started with a request for 'all the bells and whistles'
When Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith was criticized for buying a top-trim, $87,000 Chevrolet Tahoe High Country, his office justified the purchase by saying its former SUV "had been in multiple accidents and was suffering from mechanical issues."
But that 2022 Dodge Durango was in good enough shape to be recently reassigned to an agency head in the Braun administration, Indiana Department of Corrections Commissioner Lloyd Arnold.
Public records recently obtained by IndyStar reveal more context behind Beckwith's controversial Tahoe purchase, which along with Secretary of State Diego Morales' new $91,000 SUV, recently inspired legislation at the Indiana Statehouse banning future purchases of top-trim and premium brand vehicles by state officials. Braun recently signed the bill into law.
The records show Beckwith, also a pastor at Life Church in Noblesville, wanted something "newer and larger" than outgoing Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch's Durango, according to a Jan. 2 request from the Lieutenant Governor's Office to the Indiana Department of Administration, which handles the state's vehicle fleet. The car had over 150,000 miles on it.
"Can you tell me what is available - he is looking for a black SUV like a Yukon with all the bells and whistles," according to the request to IDOA from the office's operations director, which came in via Teams message over a week before Beckwith was sworn into the role alongside Gov. Mike Braun.
A Black Yukon would have matched the one used by Morales, who drives around in a taxpayer funded, $91,000 2024 GMC Yukon Denali.
Instead, the IDOA presented Beckwith with two options: a Chevrolet Tahoe Premium, which starts at about $73,000, and the top-trim Chevrolet Tahoe High Country, which Beckwith ultimately selected.
The original cost of the vehicle was nearly $91,000, but the state got a $3,000 discount, leading to the final price of $87,672, according to the purchase order for the SUV.
"IDOA contacted several dealerships, and at the time of the request, only two in-stock models met both the color and feature preferences" requested by the office, IDOA said in a statement.
The 2022 Dodge Durango used by Crouch was returned to the state's fleet for a trade-in value of $25,000, and the lieutenant governor's office then reimbursed the IDOA an additional nearly $63,000 for the rest of the cost of the car, according to IDOA.
Beckwith's office did not respond to a request for comment about the office's request for a vehicle with "all the bells and whistles."
SUV now used by IDOC commissioner
Since Beckwith traded the Durango back into the state's fleet to help pay for the new Tahoe, it has been reassigned and is now being used by Arnold, who leads the state's correctional system.
As head of the IDOC, Arnold makes $190,000 annually, slightly less than Beckwith who makes just under $194,000.
The IDOA told IndyStar the vehicle had demonstrated no mechanical problems.
A CarFax report on the vehicle shows that there were two accidents reported on the vehicle back in 2022. One was a "sideswipe collision" with another car, and another incident caused damage to the front right hand side of the car. Airbags did not deploy in either incident, according to the CarFax report.
IDOA said the SUV had been involved in a previous fender bender in which the former lieutenant governor "hit a yellow post at a gas station," which was repaired by IDOA. It did not respond to IndyStar's request for information about a second accident.
Two manufacturer recalls affecting the car's software are associated with the SUV; remedies are available for both, according to the CarFax, which showed the current retail value of the Durango as $35,610.
Beckwith's office referred to the CarFax report as evidence that the SUV had issues as he previously described.
However, Rep. Mitch Gore, D-Indianapolis, said the information from IDOA proved "waste and deception" on Beckwith's part. He's previously called on Morales and Beckwith to return their SUVs for something more modest.
"His previous vehicle wasn't malfunctioning - it's in perfect working order and is currently being used by a state agency head," Gore said. "His top-of-the-line Tahoe wasn't thrust upon him like he said. In fact, he originally asked for something even more expensive."
The debate over CarGate, as it was dubbed, resulted in a dayslong back-and-forth on social media spawning memes and political debate. Beckwith at one point swapped out the Tahoe for a borrowed Tesla Cybertruck, described by a social media user as an "A+ in trolling."
An IDOA official later confirmed that the state didn't own, and wasn't renting, the Tesla. The following day, the Tahoe was back in Beckwith's parking spot.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indianapolis Star
14 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
IndyCar Xpel Grand Prix at Road America in Elkhart Lake leaderboard, starting lineup
The IndyCar Series is racing in the Wisconsin countryside as the Xpel Grand Prix tours the 14-turn, 4-mile Road America course in Elkhart Lake. Rookie Louis Foster won pole position and series points leader Alex Palou starts beside him on the front row for today's 55-lap race. Drivers will have 200 total seconds of push-to-pass, in increments of up to 20 seconds. Nathan Brown is your best IndyCar follow, and keep up with coverage throughout the season with IndyStar's motorsports newsletter. We will have a leaderboard, highlights and crashes, so make sure to refresh. Row 1 1, Louis Foster 2, Alex Palou Row 2 3, Kyle Kirkwood 4, Scott McLaughlin Row 3 5, Christian Lundgaard 6, Graham Rahal Row 4 7, David Malukas 8, Will Power Row 5 9, Callum Ilott 10, Josef Newgarden Row 6 11, Pato O'Ward 12, Felix Rosenqvist Row 7 13, Nolan Siegel 14, Marcus Ericsson Row 8 15, Marcus Armstrong 16, Colton Herta Row 9 17, Robert Shwartzman 18, Santino Ferrucci Row 10 19, Devlin DeFrancesco 20, Christian Rasmussen Row 11 21, Conor Daly 22, Rinus Veekay Row 12 23, Kyffin Simpson 24, Alexander Rossi Row 13 25, Scott Dixon 26, Sting Ray Robb Row 14 27, Jacob Abel Alex Palou has won five races and leads by more than one race of max points. Kyle Kirkwood has won three races. However, Pato O'Ward leads Kirkwood for second place overall. Team Penske swept the podium: Will Power, followed by Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin. From Nathan Brown, IndyStar We're reaching the halfway point of a 17-race season, and Palou and Kirkwood have hogged all the checkered flags. Is anyone besides Alex Palou or Kyle Kirkwood allowed to win a race? If so, who? Fortunately ... or unfortunately ... depending your fandom, this feels like an 'Alex Palou rebound' weekend. In four years racing at Road America for Chip Ganassi Racing, he has two wins and took 4th last year. I don't expect him to settle for a bunch of top-5 finishes the rest of the way. Palou's going to win again, and coming off finishes of 25th and 8th since his Indy 500 victory, this feels like the weekend. Team Penske swept the podium last year at Road America but had a horrible time in St. Louis last weekend? How will it fare this weekend? The team will again fall short of its first win of the year, but we'll see a return to the podium for just the fourth time this season, delivered by Will Power, who won last year's race. (All times ET; all IndyCar sessions are on IndyCar Live, IndyCar Radio and Sirius XM Channel 218) 10 a.m.: IndyCar warmup, FS1 11 a.m.-noon: Indy NXT race, FS1 1:30 p.m.: IndyCar race, Fox TV: Coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET, Sunday, June 22, 2025, on Fox. Green flag is scheduled for 1:47 p.m. Will Buxton is the play-by-play voice, with analysts James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell. Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters. Fox Sports app. Watch free with a Fubo trial IndyCar Nation is on SiriusXM Channel 218, IndyCar Live and the IndyCar Radio Network (check affiliates for each race) Sunday: Partly cloudy with a high in the low 90s. The 2025 IndyCar Series schedule includes 17 races, all televised on Fox. (Times are ET; %-downtown street course, &-road course, *-oval) March 2, St. Petersburg, Florida % (Winner: Alex Palou) March 23, Thermal, California & (Winner: Alex Palou) April 13, Long Beach, California % (Winner: Kyle Kirkwood) May 4, Birmingham, Alabama & (Winner: Alex Palou) May 10, Indianapolis & (Winner: Alex Palou) May 25, Indianapolis 500 * (Winner: Alex Palou) June 1, Detroit % (Winner: Kyle Kirkwood) June 15, St. Louis * (Winner: Kyle Kirkwood) June 22, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin &, 1:30 p.m. July 6, Lexington, Ohio &, 1 p.m. July 12, Newton, Iowa *, 5 p.m. July 13, Newton, Iowa *, 1 p.m. July 20, Toronto %, noon July 27, Monterey, California &, 3 p.m. Aug. 10, Portland &, 3 p.m. Aug. 24, Milwaukee *, 2 p.m. Aug. 31, Nashville *, 2:30 p.m. (Team and drivers; *-Indianapolis 500 only)
Indianapolis Star
18 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
Meet IndyStar opinion intern Sadia Khatri
IndyStar's newsroom internships are an important tradition that benefits readers, the news industry and aspiring journalists. We have nine summer interns for 2025 — students who have shown a passion for local journalism and have prior internship or student media experience. The program provides a bridge from student journalism to the professional ranks and helps the Star fill the gaps as our full-time staff take well-earned vacation time. Similarly, we're taking a break from our "Meet the Staff" feature for the summer to give you a chance to, yes, meet the interns. We also call them Pulliam fellows — in recognition of the family that used to own the newspaper and has continued to support journalism in Indianapolis — and past participants have gone on to rich careers at IndyStar and elsewhere in journalism. Up this week is opinion intern Sadia Khatri. My beat is opinion! I recently graduated from Butler University with a combined Healthcare & Business major and an English Literature minor. I love being able to share my voice! I have the opportunity and privilege to write and tell the stories of others, allowing me to also share bits and pieces of myself in the process. I am at my happiest when I am writing, and opinion journalism has provided me with an outlet to share my voice in a way that brings current events and other important matters to light. I write to advocate, and journalism is one part of a larger story about uplifting communities and voices that have historically been — and continue to be — neglected. I have always enjoyed reading the IndyStar. I applied because I felt like this internship could provide me with the chance to get new and additional journalism-related experience. I wanted to learn more through trying and writing, and this internship seemed like it would provide that — and it has! I am a bit late to the party, but I have been watching "Gilmore Girls" recently. It's so comforting and cozy! MLK's "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" is a quote I always keep in mind. One of the best pieces of advice I received from a mentor and friend while I was at Butler related to making mistakes. As someone who was always afraid of failure and making mistakes, this mentor taught me the value of understanding that while I might be trying my absolute best and taking the correct steps, it was still possible that there could be circumstances where the end result of my actions would not be what I desired. From this mentor, I learned how to begin to let go of my deep-rooted fear of failure, and to instead embrace the surprises that life threw my way and to remain focused on trying to overcome obstacles. I've learned to become more adaptable and flexible because of this advice, and it has helped me navigate challenges in a healthier and more proactive way. If I could go back in time and guest star on "Modern Family," I would do so in a heartbeat. A close second would have to be "Succession." I am a cat person through and through. While I do not currently have a pet cat, I do hope to one day have a cat companion.
Indianapolis Star
19 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
I'm here to challenge you and hopefully earn your trust
By now you may have read my two latest columns on the death penalty and solar farms, and wondered where I'm coming from as the newest member of the opinion section at IndyStar. Before I came to the newsroom, I worked for the Indiana Senate as a press secretary for the Republican caucus. Those reading that from the left or right might incorrectly assume that means I'm here to spout Republican talking points. The truth is, my drive for moral consistency and fairness means I'm unafraid to take positions you might not expect. I'm not here to make cheap shots, deliver hot takes or adopt stances that will leave any reader feeling complacent. Investigative and opinion journalism has played a vital role in expanding my worldview and challenging my thinking in the past, and I hope to provide a similar challenge to my readers, regardless of partisan leanings. While I'm here, I hope to stay true to that goal and gain your trust. Trust has never been so important at a time when the average person in our state probably feels abandoned by legacy media and disconnected from their community. Anyone can easily find a near-constant influx of doom-and-gloom, sensationalist punditry and incomplete narratives on social media, but long-term exposure can make them feel voiceless and weak. Local media has an imperative to validate itself and provide people with a valuable connection to their local communities, where they have the greatest ability to make a difference. Throughout my time in health care, education and public relations, I saw local media drive many important conversations this way. During my time as an investigative journalist, while managing a small news outlet, I was shocked by the outsized influence it had on the city and state. When reporting and investigative work is complemented by thought-provoking commentary with a connection to the local community, a newsroom's impact can stretch far beyond its readers. This is something IndyStar has been successful at for years, thanks to my boss, James Briggs, the other excellent people in our newsroom, and IndyStar's parent company, Gannett, which continues to invest in our opinion section. As IndyStar continues to evolve to make sure it represents and meets the needs of the city and state it serves, I'm excited to be a part of it and hit the ground running. I hope my readers will reach out to let me know what issues matter most to them.
