Madison County Treasurer Amanda DeVos has resigned just days before a scheduled removal hearing, capping a saga that began with her January arrest on multiple charges.
DeVos, 37, delivered a letter dated July 14 saying she was stepping down “on the advice of counsel and admitting no wrongdoing,” according to a Tuesday, July 15 news release from the Madison County Attorney’s Office. Her resignation takes effect immediately, vacating a Chapter 66 removal hearing scheduled for July 18. The Board of Supervisors is set to formally accept her resignation at its July 22 meeting.
DeVos was arrested Jan. 31 by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and charged with felonious misconduct in office, third‑degree theft, third‑degree fraudulent practices and tampering with records. According to criminal complaints, she used her authority to falsify documents indicating she paid for a vehicle registration she did not, and she created a false receipt claiming full payment of her 2023–24 property taxes, a receipt for $6,495. Those allegations were drawn from county records and from DeVos’ own admission to investigators.
Within days of her arrest, the Board of Supervisors barred DeVos from accessing county bank accounts and county buildings. First Deputy Treasurer Kylee Barber was appointed acting treasurer on Feb. 7 to ensure continuity of operations. Barber has remained in that role and will continue until a permanent treasurer is selected or elected.
In early February, DeVos posted a $5,000 bond and was released from custody.
On March 31, she pleaded not guilty and waived her right to a speedy trial.
Further findings added non-criminal allegations that DeVos neglected her duties. She’s accused of misallocating more than $250,000 in municipal funds, not processing citizens’ payments promptly and delaying distributions to Winterset Public Schools and other tax-paying entities.
On April 18, Madison County Attorney Stephen Swanson filed a petition under Iowa Code Chapter 66 seeking DeVos’ removal from office. The petition cited her pending criminal charges, her failure to perform basic statutory duties and the erosion of public trust in the Treasurer’s Office.
“The actions of Ms. DeVos have eroded public trust in the Madison County Treasurer’s office, disrupted county financial operations, and prompted investigations by the State Attorney General and the State Auditor’s offices,” Swanson said in an April 18 release. “Ms. DeVos’ continued tenure risks further harm to Madison County taxpayers, and the reputation of Madison County’s employees.”
In its Tuesday release, Swanson’s office thanked Madison County Sheriff Jason Barnes and Barber “for their decisive action” and effort in “exposing and investigating this matter.”
“We were hemorrhaging money all over the place, so we made the decision to go forward without the state auditor,” Barnes told the Des Moines Register Tuesday. “I was informed that the audit was going to take at least a year, year and a half.”
Devos’ trial for the charges is set for Sept. 1 in Boone.
The treasurer’s case unfolded alongside even more county controversies in the Auditor’s Office and the Board of Supervisors.
Earlier this year, Auditor Teri Kaczinski drew a sheriff’s referral to the Division of Criminal Investigation over an unapproved consultancy contract. County supervisors also faced criticism for appointing a replacement auditor without a public election, prompting a petition drive for a special vote. Most recently, Barnes referred one of Board Chair Heather Stancil’s Facebook comments to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office over concerns of possible election misconduct and voter intimidation.
Nick El Hajj is a reporter at the Register. He can be reached atnelhajj@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @nick_el_hajj.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Madison County Treasurer Amanda DeVos resigns days before removal hearing
Reporting by Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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