The Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure board has agreed to reprimand Cerro Gordo County Auditor Adam Wedmore (D) for unauthorized use of the county’s postage meter. Wedmore will also be fined $500.
In a story originally reported in the March 7 edition of the Clear Lake Mirror Reporter, The Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors approved an investigation of the County Auditor’s office, and county auditor Adam Wedmore in particular, after learning of alleged illegal use of a postage meter for political purposes. The incident was passed on to the county’s outside auditor and eventually to the Iowa Attorney General’s (AG) office and the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure board.
Wedmore admits that he entered the courthouse and utilized a mail machine to stamp 1000 pieces of campaign mail on Jan. 27. On Feb. 2, after he had been notified of a county supervisor inquiry, he sent an email to his finance director stating that he had used the mail machine for non-county purposes and that he intended to reimburse the county $650 from his campaign fund for the postage used and electricity. He also purchased a replacement ink cartridge for the mail machine. He also self-reported himself to the Iowa Ethics board. In an interview with law enforcement, Wedmore admitted that he should not have used the machine but had always intended to reimburse the county.
Assistant AG Scott Brown said that while they could charge Wedmore with fourth-degree theft and non-felonious misconduct in office, there wasn’t sufficient proof that Wedmore intended to permanently deprive the county of the costs, and that the AG’s office declined to prosecute.
In April, Executive Director of the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board Zach Goodrich, said that Wedmore did contact him after the violation. “He called me back in February, and then subsequently a county supervisor, which I will note who herself was the subject of a complaint last year filed by Mr. Wedmore, just for some context, I don’t think they are best friends. She contacted me as well and she alerted the county sheriff who I’ve been in touch with and informed them that if the board were to approve it today, it would be an investigation of violation of 68a.505 (of the Iowa Code).” That’s the section of Iowa Code that deals with the use of public money for political purposes.
In the Iowa Ethics board’s latest decision Goodrich said that public resources in general should not be used for political purposes. While Iowa code does have a provision for reimbursement in situations that “further a public interest” Wedmore’s use of the courthouse postal meter did not meet those requirements as an individual campaign does not apply.
“The Ethics Board is done with their process. I think there’s a lot of misinformation around, or confusion, unfortunately. Everything has been referred on and everything came back. The Attorney General’s office gave me their opinion… They investigated and said, ‘No, there’s no charges to be filed,’” Wedmore said in a recent interview.
It has been reported that Cerro Gordo County has not accepted Wedmore’s reimbursement check while investigations from the State Auditor’s office are ongoing.
Wedmore first won election to the Cerro Gordo County Auditor’s position in November 2018.
