JACKSON- State Auditor Stacey Pickering announced today that the Office of the State Auditor served Warren County Circuit Clerk Shelly Ashley Palmertree with a civil demand in the amount of $229,880.01, bringing the total amount of demands issued against her to $1,048,131.76.

This demand was issued for fees that Palmertree withdrew from the civil and criminal accounts of Warren County that she was not entitled to receive.

This includes $203,327.79 in principal; $18,669.23 in interest; and $7,882.99 in investigative costs.

“While this portion of the investigation is now more than two years old, we will continue to protect the taxpayers of Warren County,” Auditor Pickering said.

In March 2013, OSA issued a demand against Palmertree for $661,751.75. This matter is pending in Hinds County Chancery Court. A subsequent demand was issued in August for payment totaling $156,500 for exceeding the fee cap in 2012, as well as additional funds from 2011.

In January 2014, Palmertree was indicted on three felony counts of embezzlement by a Warren County Grand Jury.

On Monday, Palmertree was removed from office by the Warren County Board of Supervisors for violating the state law governing residency requirements for elected officials. This move came after Investigators from the Office of the State Auditor presented an affidavit from the Madison County School District signed by Palmertree on July 23, 2013, attesting that she was a resident of Canton, in Madison County.

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