Page County supervisors vote to seek outside probe after after-hours entry to auditor's office during special election

The Page County Board of Supervisors voted to request an outside investigation after video showed Jacob Holmes and his children inside the county auditor’s office for 42 minutes after hours during a special election, the board said.

The chairman of the Page County Board of Supervisors told colleagues the entry was discovered in January when a fire alarm revealed the presence of people in the courthouse. The chairman said the board notified the Iowa Secretary of State’s office the following morning and that the secretary’s office suggested the auditor might want to make a statement. The chairman said he spoke with the auditor, identified only as Cindy, and told her “inviting someone into our office after hours like this was unacceptable.” Cindy told the chairman she would consider resigning, the chairman said.

The board moved quickly from discussion to formal action. Sheriff McCullough told the board an independent probe would be required because it would…