Outside counsel funds returned to Henry County

MT. PLEASANT — The Henry County Attorney’s Office recovered thousands of dollars Henry County Board of Supervisors paid to outside counsel on behalf of Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee and Deputy Carlos Lopez.

During the July 11 Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting, Henry County Assistant Attorney Steve Giebelhausen informed the board that the County Attorney’s Office reached out to the Smith Mills Law Firm requesting the return of the money paid by the county as it was “inappropriately paid.”

The invoices approved for payment from the Board of Supervisors detailed over $3,000 of outside legal counsel expenses from Feb. 12 through May 21 of this year and were obtained in connection to Deputy Carlos Lopez’s placement on the Brady-Giglio List.

“We explained our position and requested the return of all the moneys paid to them and have since now received a check back from the law firm returning all of the public moneys to Henry County,” Giebelhausen stated.

Last month, Henry County Attorney Darin Stater spoke with the Board of Supervisors about the issue of the board approving the payment in the first place stating that the outside counsel obtained was not acquired through legal means and never should have been paid with public funds.

For more information about the improperly paid funds and Stater’s comments to the Board of Supervisors check out the Southeast Iowa Union article Henry County Attorney questions supervisor spending.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com