Boone County Auditor: Removal Vote Stalled by Council Inaction
A two-to-zero commissioners vote to remove Auditor Debbie Crum failed to advance after the county council chose not to introduce a motion.
By Marco Whitaker ·
Boone County Auditor Debbie Crum keeps her job for now after the county council declined to move forward with a removal proposal on Monday.
The Boone County Commissioners voted 2-0 on November 2 to approve Crum's removal. That vote alone, however, is not sufficient to displace an elected official. The proposal required a matching vote from the Boone County Council before being sent to a Boone County judge for final consideration. Council members did not introduce a motion to remove Crum on Monday, effectively halting the process.
Commissioner Scott Pell cast a vote in favor of removal, citing the need for financial accountability in a multi-million dollar government. He argued that taxpayers and employees deserve competent leadership. Commissioner Donnie Lawson also voted to remove Crum. Commissioner Tim Beyer abstained from the vote without providing a reason.
The dispute centers on a data leak that occurred on June 30. An internal investigation found that Crum emailed the names and Social Security numbers of all 290 county employees to the Indiana Department of Child Services. Crum apologized for the breach and stated she took fault for her part in the error. She said she would work with IT to establish policies to prevent similar incidents in the future.
County attorney Beth Copeland presented evidence that Crum’s errors extended beyond the single data leak. Copeland alleged Crum repeatedly shared sensitive information via email, maintained poor bookkeeping, and paid invoices from incorrect funds. Copeland claimed these mistakes cost the county thousands of dollars. The commissioners and council members spent hours on October 6 listening to presentations from Crum, her attorney, and Copeland.
Commissioner Beyer faces a separate inquiry after Crum alleged he met with her privately at a Starbucks on October 12. Crum told Indiana’s I-Team that Beyer asked if she would consider hiring his wife. The meeting took place just days after the October 6 public presentations and before the vote on her removal. Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood confirmed his office received information from Crum’s counsel outlining allegations that could constitute criminal conduct. Eastwood said the Indiana State Police opened an independent investigation on the matter. No criminal charges have been filed.
Beyer told reporters he would not comment on the investigation or the meeting with Crum. He submitted an affidavit to Indiana’s I-Team stating that repeating Crum’s allegations would be unsubstantiated or false. Crum hugged supporters after the meeting concluded and said she was glad the day was over.
