03/23/2016
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway today delivered a public presentation on the results of an audit that led to the resignation of the former Dunklin County public administrator. As public administrator, Shawnee Trowbridge was responsible for managing the finances of individuals who were unable to do so for themselves. Auditors found Trowbridge misused funds entrusted to her for her own benefit.
"Public administrators are charged with providing important assistance to some of our communities' most vulnerable members, including elderly citizens and those unable to care for themselves," Auditor Galloway said. "It's heartbreaking and frustrating to uncover a situation where an official exploits the very people she was entrusted to protect. My team identified questionable practices and worked with Attorney General Chris Koster and his team to ensure others would not be taken advantage of."
Auditors discovered the issues during the course of a regularly scheduled audit of Dunklin County. Upon further investigation and involvement of Attorney General Chris Koster, Ms. Trowbridge entered into an agreement that required her to resign from her position and make payments totaling $800 into the affected accounts.
Ms. Trowbridge admitted she spent money entrusted to her on pet supplies, including dog and cat food, and on purchases made while on a trip to Florida. Auditors also questioned purchases of bird toys and a dog sweater from the accounts of individuals who did not have pets and fuel purchases made with funds belonging to individuals who did not own vehicles, including some who lived in nursing homes.
Ms. Trowbridge had been the county's public administrator since 2007, serving as the court appointed personal representative for estates, and as guardian or conservator for individuals unable to care for themselves or their property. In that role, she managed the financial activity of approximately 200 wards with assets totaling roughly $1.5 million.
During the course of the audit, auditors also found that the administrator did not maintain adequate supporting documentation for payments made from ward bank accounts. Although she issued checks for more than $2,000 to Walmart from ward accounts, she did not have supporting documentation for the purchases. She also did not require that wards sign receipts when they received money or gift cards from her, raising questions about whether funds were appropriately distributed. Although she prepared annual settlement statements that were filed with the circuit court, the statements were not always filed timely or accurately. In addition, the court did not have a system in place to monitor and ensure accurate and timely filing of settlements.
Auditor Galloway delivered the audit results today at the Kennett Oaks Senior Center in Dunklin County. The public administrator's office received an overall performance rating of "poor." The complete audit report is available online.
