Boone County Auditor Crum stays in office after split vote

Boone County Auditor Debbie Crum will continue to serve in her position after a procedural hurdle stopped her removal on Monday. The county commissioners voted 2-0 to approve her removal, but the measure now requires a separate vote by the Boone County Council. The council members did not introduce the necessary motion on Monday, which means the removal process has not yet reached the next stage.

The dispute over Crum’s job began with a data breach on June 30. An internal investigation determined that Crum emailed the names and Social Security numbers of all 290 county employees to the Indiana Department of Child Services. The error caused concern among local residents and government officials. Crum apologized for the mistake and promised to work with IT staff to create new policies to prevent similar leaks in the future.

On October 6, commissioners and council members spent hours listening to testimony from both sides. They heard from Crum, her attorney, and County Attorney Beth Copeland. Copeland presented evidence that Crum’s errors extended beyond the initial data leak. She cited a history of poor bookkeeping, payroll issues, and payments made from the wrong funds. Copeland alleged that these mistakes cost the county thousands of dollars and that Crum failed to upload contracts to a public transparency portal.

During Monday’s vote, Commissioner Scott Pell argued that the county needs stable financial leadership. He stated that taxpayers and employees deserve competent management. "Our obligation is to protect the employees and taxpayers of Boone County and the integrity of the government they depend on," Pell said. Commissioner Donnie Lawson voted in favor of removal, while Commissioner Tim Beyer abstained without providing a reason.

The abstention by Beyer has drawn attention to a recent allegation involving the commissioner. Crum sent a written statement claiming that Beyer asked to meet with her privately at a Starbucks on October 12. That date was just days after the public hearing on October 6. Crum alleged that during the meeting, Beyer asked if she would consider hiring his wife. Beyer declined to comment on the meeting or the allegation when reporters asked him after the Monday session.

Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood confirmed that his office received information from Crum’s counsel regarding the October 12 meeting. Eastwood said the allegations could potentially constitute criminal conduct involving an elected official. Because another elected official was involved, the prosecutor’s office contacted the Indiana State Police. The State Police opened an independent investigation on the matter, and no criminal charges have been filed yet. Eastwood said the office is currently waiting for the investigation to conclude and for investigative reports to be submitted.

After the Monday meeting, Crum cried and hugged supporters who attended the session. She said she was glad the day was over and acknowledged her fault in the DCS breach. "Not 100 percent of it was mine so I will continue to work moving forward with IT to set up and work with commissioners on setting up a policy on how we can prevent breaches like that in the future," Crum said. The council must now decide whether to introduce a motion to remove Crum at a future agenda meeting. If they do, the matter will be sent to a Boone County judge for final consideration.