Fight the Smoligarchy: Meet the Simons

How a Real-Estate Empire is Souring Indiana Politics

In a recent interview, candidate Beau Bayh claimed his first action, if elected Secretary of State, would be to “conduct an independent audit of this office.” He went on to muse about the supposed rarity of such integrity in politics before concluding with a self-satisfied dare: “[a]udit me. […] Break open the books. See what’s gone wrong. See where the money is.”

So I did.

I opened Indiana’s campaign finance records and a pattern emerged spelled out in six-figure donations–the Simons.

Herbert, Deborah, Cindy, Stephen, Sarah, and Rachel Simon have already poured more than $230,000 into Bayh’s campaign for Secretary of State.

This isn’t philanthropy. It is a strategic investment by a billionaire family to install a business-friendly regulator. For working Hoosiers worried about jobs and fairness…it’s a lesson in how the game is rigged.

The Players and the Prize

So why target the Secretary of State? For a family like the Simons, the prize would be controlling the regulatory climate of their home state. This office isn’t just about elections. The Secretary of State is also Indiana’s business regulator-in-chief.

The office has two key powers of interest to the Simons:

1. As Indiana’s financial cop, it polices investment fraud and licenses debt collectors–areas that probably matter to any family managing a multi-billion dollar fortune…

2. As a corporate gatekeeper, it sets the rules and fees for every LLC and corporation in Indiana and manages the system that lets businesses borrow money against their assests–that would include the sprawling network of Simon-owned entities…

So who are the Simons anyway? They are a business empire.

Herbert “Herb” Simon, along with his late brother Melvin, founded the Simon Property Group in 1960 and built it into a global real-estate powerhouse. That success established the Simons as one of Indiana’s most prominent families. They have since leveraged their fortune to diversify into sports and entertainment through their ownership of Indiana’s professional basketball teams, among other ventures. Herb Simon, alone, is worth an estimated $6.5 billion, while the Simon family’s combined wealth sits around $11.6 billion.

The Investment Portfolio

The Simons, like many of the ultra-wealthy, treat politics as a diversified investment portfolio. They give to both parties to ensure access, regardless of who wins.

Herb Simon has donated to Democrats such as Rep. Frank Mrvan Jr. (D) and to Democratic PACs like the Indiana Democratic Congressional Victory Cmte (D). He has also donated to Republicans like Sen. Todd Young (R), and Mike Braun (R), statehouse leaders, such as Todd Huston (R), along with a handful of Republican state representatives. Herb is also known to donate generously to national PACs, like the American Israel Public Affairs Cmte (AIPAC). And on December 5th, 2025, Herb donated $25,000 to Beau Bayh’s campaign.

It should be noted that Herbert Simon’s connection with the Bayh family pre-dates his support for the youngest Bayh’s political ambitions. In 1981, Herb married his second wife, Diane Meyer, a longtime staffer for Birch Bayh (Beau’s grandfather) and the Indiana administrator of Bayh’s office. Meyer briefly left her position to launch Meyer Simon Group Environmental Design Consultants, but returned in 1989, to serve on Evan Bayh’s gubernatorial finance committee where she remained active even throughout his time in the Senate.

This history reveals that it isn’t about ideology. It’s about access to power.

When you’re a billionaire, protecting your empire means having the governor, the mayor, and members of the general assembly in your back pocket.

And this election cycle that strategy is focused on the Secretary of State’s office.

Case Study: Proof of the Payoff

We don’t have to guess as to what the Simons expect. Their recent history provides a clear case study.

Consider what happened last January in Indianapolis…

In the midst of an ongoing housing crisis, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett promised to revitalize the city by demolishing Marion County Jail 1 and repurposing the public land it occupied.

Was it used to build affordable housing? Nope.

Instead, the city sold that land to Pacers Sports & Entertainment to build a new practice facility for the Indiana Fever.

Remember, dear reader: the Simon family owns both Indiana basketball teams through Pacers Sports & Entertainment. Coincidentally, in 2023, the year the deal moved forward, was also the year Deborah J. Simon, Cindy Simon Skjodt, and Herbert Simon each wrote $100,000 checks to local political campaigns. A subsequent Mirror Indy analysis of Mayor Hogsett’s 2024 campaign finances shows Herb Simon and his daughter Rachel added in another $80,000 for good measure.

In short, nearly $400,000 in campaign contributions flowed to Mayor Hogsett’s campaign coffers around the time the City of Indianapolis decided to sell public land to the Simon family’s sports empire.

Let’s be blunt: a billionaire family invested a generous amount to the mayor’s campaign and soon after, that same family’s company got a sweetheart deal on public land.

But don’t worry—according to the rules of American politics, money never buys access, influence, or outcomes. It just politely waits nearby while decisions magically break its way.

Totally normal. Perfectly legal. Absolutely no conflict of interest whatsoever. Riiiiiight.

The Pattern Repeats

Now, the Simons are making a major investment in Beau Bayh for Secretary of State–the office that regulates their business empire.

Consider the scale: One heiress alone, Deborah Simon, donated $75,000 to Beau Bayh’s campaign. She is a named top-ten national donor whose contributions are signals of expectation, not mere support.

The question isn’t if they expect something. The pattern shows they do.

Bayh, if elected, will oversee the corporate laws that govern the Simon Property Group. What are the odds he’ll be tough on his biggest benefactor’s family business?

I’ll tell you this, dear reader, they aren’t in our favor.

So when do we call this money an investment in influence?

The Simon family has answered. The Jail 1 deal is a $400k receipt for political access. The $230k for Beau Bayh’s campaign is a down payment on the next favor.

Beau Bayh asked us to audit him. To “see where the money is.”

Here’s your audit: the money is from billionaire backers like the Simons.

And for any Hoosier who doesn’t have a billion-dollar empire to protect, that tells us exactly who this candidate will work for.

* * *

Just a brief reminder that the purpose of this series is to expose the wealthy elite who bankroll our politicians. As an equal-opportunity critic, I hold power to account wherever it resides. With that in mind, my decision to examine Beau Bayh’s donor list is not intended to divide Democrats, but to make us a more principled party focused on everyday Hoosiers. If we are serious about advancing a working-class agenda, we cannot compromise our values or accept questionable contributions from extremely wealthy donors simply because they are perceived as “our” billionaires.

Accountability cannot be selective. And here, it won’t be.

So rest assured, Republican smoligarchs will get their full turn in the “lemon”-light.