A state audit has been unable to determine the extent of the theft committed by a woman who admits she stole money from a small northeast Iowa township. Anne McClain was the clerk of Oran Township in Fayette County until she resigned in September of last year after admitting she’d embezzled money from the township.
McClain returned $1,500 in cash to replace the money she stole. However, the state audit found nearly $3,300 of improper disbursements. That’s over twice as much as McClain paid back. The audit identified nearly $400 worth of checks McClain wrote to herself and her husband that “may not meet the test of public purpose” either.
State Auditor Dave Vaudt says it’s “not possible to determine” if more money was stolen. Oran Township is one of 20 townships in Fayette County. It’s a rural area with fewer than 700 residents.