OFFI CE OF AUDITOR OF STATE

STATE OF IOWA
State Capitol Building
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0004
Telephone (515) 281-5834 Facsimile (515) 242-6134
Mary Mosiman, CPA
Auditor of State


NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Mary Mosiman
515/281-5835
or Tami Kusian
FOR RELEASE September 4, 2014 515/281-5834
Auditor of State Mary Mosiman today released a report on a special investigation of the
State Public Defenders Office for the period July 1, 2009 through August 31, 2013. The State
Public Defenders Office is an administratively attached unit of the Iowa Department of
Inspections and Appeals which coordinates the provision of legal representation to indigent
persons. The legal representation is provided through State Public Defender Offices or through
private attorneys who contract with the State Public Defender or who are appointed by the
Court. The special investigation was requested by the State Public Defender as a result of
concerns regarding claims submitted by certain contract attorneys.
Mosiman reported the special investigation identified $311,182.93 of disbursements to 11
attorneys who billed the State Public Defenders Office for more than 12 hours in a single day
and 13 attorneys who improperly claimed reimbursement for mileage. The attorneys include
Jennifer Meyer, Joanie Grife, Dennis Mathahs, Richard Buffington, Jason Hauser, David
Pargulski, Nathaniel Tagtow, Steven Clarke, Laura Lockwood, Jane White, Katharine Strickler,
Magdalena Reese, and Matthew Noel. Mosiman reported it was not possible to determine if
additional amounts were disbursed to the attorneys for days which exceeded 12 hours because
certain claims were not readily available. In addition, it was not possible to determine if specific
activities, such as phone calls, research and preparing documents, were accurately reported by
each attorney. In addition, it was not possible to determine whether the length of time reported
by the attorneys was reasonable for every case.
Mosiman reported the disbursements identified include $45,582.00 paid to the attorneys
for 50 days for which they individually claimed 24 hours or more in a single day, $51,912.00 for
90 days for which they individually claimed at least 20 but less than 24 hours in a single day,
$116,988.00 for 390 days for which they individually claimed more than 15 but less than 20
hours in a single day and $51,954.00 for 612 days for which they individually claimed more
than 12 but not more than 15 hours in a single day. The disbursements identified include only
the amount paid to the attorneys for more than 12 hours for a single day.
Mosiman reported the disbursements identified also include $41,344.93 for mileage
improperly claimed by the attorneys and $3,402.00 of other improper payments. The attorneys
claimed mileage to the same destination for 750 days, which resulted in payments for 1,588
duplicate trips. The mileage claimed was not allocated among the cases. Instead, the attorneys
claimed the full amount of mileage for each case as if the case was the only one for which they
traveled to the destination that day.
Mosiman also reported Mr. Mathahs, Ms. Strickler, Mr. Clarke, Ms. Lockwood, Ms. White,
Ms. Reese, and Mr. Tagtow repaid the State Public Defenders Office for excess mileage and
other expenses included on claims they submitted. The repayments from the attorneys total
$12,253.43.
The report also includes recommendations to strengthen the Offices internal controls,
such as improvements to policies and procedures established by the State Public Defenders
Office to ensure amounts claimed are appropriate. Recommended improvements include
tracking hours claimed by day and ensuring additional costs, such as mileage, are properly
allocated between cases.
Copies of the report have been filed with the County Attorneys Offices in Dubuque,
Fayette, Iowa, Marshall, and Polk Counties, the Attorney Generals Office, and the Division of
Criminal Investigation. A copy of the report is available for review in the Office of Auditor of
State and on the Auditor of States web site at http://auditor.iowa.gov/specials/1160-4270-
0E01.pdf.
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