Mayor addresses incident with wife at City Hall

JEFFERSONVILLE — Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore admitted an altercation occurred with his wife Tuesday afternoon that resulted in a police being called to his City Hall office.

A press conference was held Wednesday afternoon to address the incident that occurred with his estranged wife Vicki Moore. According to Clark County Court records, Mike Moore filed for divorce Oct. 29.

WHAT HAPPENED

Reading from a prepared statement at Wednesday’s press conference, Moore said, “[Vicki] visited my office yesterday afternoon to discuss with me some personal matters related to the divorce, as noted in the police report. During the course of our conversation, Vicki became argumentative and visibly upset. I asked her to leave my office at which time she refused to do. So, I then advised her I would have to call the police if she continued to refuse to leave.”

Calls made to Vicki Moore were not returned as of press time.

According to the Jeffersonville Police Department report, the pair had been emailing back and forth over access to Southwest Airlines points. Mike Moore said he did not have a new password to the account, which she had come to the office to retrieve. She refused to leave until it was given to her.

According to the report, when Mike Moore got up from his chair and tried to walk around her to call police to force her to leave she began to punch and kick him.

“Mike stated he deflected these and moved Vicki to the side,” according to the report. “Mike stated when he moved Vicki to the side, she struck one of the two baseball bat holders that was hanging on the wall, knocking it to the ground, as well as the bat.”

While reading from his prepared statement Mike Moore said, “At no time did the incident become physically violent. At no time was anyone at City Hall in danger.”

When asked about the discrepancy between the statement and the police report, he admitted that “she threw a few punches and a few kicks.” When asked if he ever tried to physically remove her from the office he said, “no.”

According to the police report, when Vicki Moore was interviewed in the parking lot outside Puerto Vallarta — near City Hall — following the altercation she said when she came to Mike Moore’s office he was on his iPad and she asked him for the password.

“Vicki stated she thought he was looking it up, but realized he wasn’t,” according to the police report. “When he closed up the iPad, and stood up and walked toward her ... she then reached for the iPad that Mike had clutched in his arms over his chest. Vicki advised the chain of events after she grabbed for the iPad [was] unclear and either he pushed her, so she punched him in the stomach, or vice versa. Vicki stated they were both engaged in pushing and hitting.”

Next, Vicki Moore said in the report that she took a picture off of the wall in Mike Moore’s office — after he had gone to ask his secretary to call the police — and smashed it against the wall, cutting her thumb on the glass as a result. When Mike Moore returned to the office, she asked him if he called the police. He said “yes,” and as she left she wiped her bloody hand on his shirt.

Mike Moore said as a result of the dispute, there was minor damage to his office — a hook was pulled out of the wall, a picture hanging on a wall in his office was broken and there was a small amount of damage to the drywall in his office. He said he would pay for the repairs personally.

“There [were] no other witnesses to the incident,” he said. “I believe the police report accurately represents my recollection of the events that occurred yesterday afternoon. It should be noted that my wife did not require medical attention. I want to commend the police for handling this difficult and personal matter in such a professional way.”

Mike Moore said he will not pursue any charges against his wife.

“I want to put this private matter behind me for the sake my children,” he said. “I am asking that no charges be brought against my wife. I regret that this incident has happened. I take full responsibility for my involvement. I want to sincerely apologize to the citizens of Jeffersonville and to the employees working here at City Hall.

“It’s unfortunate that this personal incident occurred during city business hours and on city property. There’s no excuse for such behavior under the circumstances. While I do regret what happened, I am thankful that my wife was not seriously injured. She’s the loving mother of my three beautiful children. This is a very difficult and emotional time for everyone in our family.”

He added that through 20 years of marriage, there has been no history of any physical altercations.

RESPONDING TO RUMORS

Rumors of an incident involving Mike Moore and Vicki Moore surfaced several months ago, in which it was claimed that Vicki Moore had damaged a city vehicle.

The News and Tribune interviewed Mike Moore shortly after the alleged incident on another matter. He admitted that they were separated and he had moved out of their home, but denied that any kind of altercation had occurred and that there had been no damage to any city vehicles. No reports of the incident were ever substantiated.

He called the same rumor “nonsense” when questioned about it Wednesday.

“There is no merit to the rumors that have been spread,” Mike Moore said. “There’s been a lot of nonsense created by a small handful of people that don’t like my situation as mayor. These same people have battled me for the last few years, when I ran for commissioner, when I ran for mayor. I’m satisfied we’re doing good work for the people of Jeffersonville and sometimes you have to deal with people who simply like the game of dirty politics.”

“Unfortunately, there’s an old saying that you live in a fish bowl,” he said. “I’m an elected official. I’m a big boy. I’ve gone through some tough life experiences, I can handle it. The unfortunate part is my children ... they do not need to be exposed to some of the slanderous remarks that get made from time-to-time.

Mike Moore also denied the altercation had anything to do with marital infidelity when asked by a reporter.

“My wife and I have our differences; those differences have absolutely nothing to do with physical relationships with anyone else,” he said.

He was subsequently asked about rumors of an affair with a city employees or a former city employee, which he also dispelled.

“I have not and I will not dignify any more rumors,” Mike Moore said. “If somebody has facts, and they want to come to a public meeting, bring it on. But these Internet forums that spread lies from people who go on these forums without a name, it’s sad. And it’s a sad day in Jeffersonville to think that I am up here right now having to address gossip and rumors that are being spread by a handful of people who were upset from last November’s election [and] don’t like me in the mayor’s seat.”

“It is a difficult time, my three children have been exposed to some things that no children should ever be exposed to,” he said.

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Mayor addresses incident with wife at City Hall

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