For Part 2 of our series on the camera servers, the focus is on an email communication between elected officials. The email thread was started on July 2 by Supervisor Heather Stancil after she was informed of ten failed login attempts on the Annex camera server. She initially sent the inquiry to County Attorney Swanson, Sheriff Barnes and Auditor Brant and then added Supervisors Fitch and Hobbs on July 6 when discussing a time to schedule a meeting.
One point worth noting is that on July 9, 2026, County Attorney Stephen Swanson referenced what appears to be the June 10, 2025 resolution governing the Annex camera system. In that email, Swanson asserted that the resolution limited the review of security camera footage to the Sheriff and County Attorney.
In our review of the resolution, however, we do not find language expressly stating that only those two officials may review camera footage. The resolution restricts access to the camera server and addresses the confidentiality of security information, but it does not expressly prohibit the Board or its authorized vendor from reviewing or providing exported video.
View the June 10, 2025 Annex Camera System Resolution.
Email Conversation between Madison County Elected Officials
Subject: Possible Security Breach – Annex Cameras
July 2–10, 2026
Thursday, July 2, 2026 — 4:42 PM
From: Heather Stancil
To: Stephen Swanson, Jason Barnes, Michele Brant
All
I have been notified that the Annex camera server had 10 failed admin login attempts on 6/19 around 11:50 am. Were any of you aware of what this could have been?
Thanks.
Heather Stancil
Thursday, July 2, 2026 — 4:48 PM
From: Stephen Swanson
To: Heather Stancil, Jason Barnes, Michele Brant
Why would someone be reporting camera issues to you?
Thursday, July 2, 2026 — 4:52 PM
From: Michele Brant
To: Stephen Swanson, Heather Stancil, Jason Barnes
Heather – I am confused. Aren’t the only ones authorized to log into the server the Sheriff and the Attorney? Why on earth and who has access to that server. Who logged in??? I remember very well a meeting that we dialogued about vendors coming in rogue and logging in to our servers on the behalf of those NOT authorized to direct. Who directed Travis to log in?
Please explain.
Thursday, July 2, 2026 — 5:42 PM
From: Heather Stancil
To: Michele Brant, Stephen Swanson, Jason Barnes
Michele
Travis is the only authorized vendor admin and he noticed the multiple failed attempts and tgen notified me.
Other than him, Steve & Jason have the only login access. Admin level logins are usually reserved for authorized vendors only.
I did confirm with Travis that there were no unauthorized changes made, thankfully. Can you guys please confirm if there is any possible way this could potentially be nothing?
Thanks
Heather
Thursday, July 2, 2026 — 6:06 PM
From: Stephen Swanson
To: Heather Stancil, Michele Brant, Jason Barnes
I do know you are the chairperson of the board and get information way before everyone else, but didn’t realize that included possible criminal referrals. I could check into it on Monday.
Monday, July 6, 2026 — 9:28 AM
From: Heather Stancil
To: Stephen Swanson, Michele Brant, Jason Barnes
Steve, Jason
Wanted to follow up on this. Can you please advise as to next steps?
Thanks!
Heather Stancil
Monday, July 6, 2026 — 2:23 PM
From: Heather Stancil
To: Stephen Swanson, Michele Brant, Jason Barnes
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
Steve, Jason
The BOS has requested a potential closed session to discuss this matter on Wednesday at 8 am, unless we can get an update prior to that.
Please advise if you can attend.
Thank you!
Serving,
Heather Stancil
Monday, July 6, 2026 — 4:03 PM
From: Stephen Swanson
To: Heather Stancil, Michele Brant, Jason Barnes
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
I have an actual job to do. You people constantly scheduling special sessions every other day doesn’t work for the people trying to get things done.
Monday, July 6, 2026 — 4:13 PM
From: Heather Stancil
To: Stephen Swanson, Michele Brant, Jason Barnes
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
Steve
You said that you would look into this, so if you are too busy to meet can you at least update the BOS with status on your investigation?
Thanks.
Serving,
Heather Stancil
Monday, July 6, 2026 — 4:14 PM
From: Stephen Swanson
To: Heather Stancil, Michele Brant, Jason Barnes
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
Well since I don’t actually know what happened since it wasn’t reported to my self or the sheriff, I guess I wouldn’t know where to start.
Monday, July 6, 2026 — 4:26 PM
From: Heather Stancil
To: Stephen Swanson, Michele Brant, Jason Barnes
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
Steve
I am confused. I sent to you what happened and asked if you knew of anything that could have caused it. You said you would look into it.
I take it from this response that you have no idea what could have caused it?
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 — 8:41 AM
From: Heather Stancil
To: Stephen Swanson, Michele Brant, Jason Barnes
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
Steve, Jason
The potential closed meeting was moved to Thursday at 8 am. Can you please advise if you are available, and if not, send the BOS an email update as to any investigation underway so we can discuss it?
If you want to send someone to represent your offices at our meeting regarding this potential cybersecurity attack, that is fine too.
Thank you!
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 — 10:25 AM
From: Stephen Swanson
To: Heather Stancil, Michele Brant, Jason Barnes
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
I am busy working. I would think in order to report a potential crime, the complaining person needs to contact the sheriff so he knows what is going on or would you like me to reroute all potential criminal intake matters through you?
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 — 10:37 AM
From: Heather Stancil
To: Stephen Swanson, Michele Brant, Jason Barnes
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
I sent an email to both of you & the Steve,
Sheriff regarding this matter on 7/2 at 4:42 pm. It is at the bottom of the email string below. I have yet to get a response from the Sheriff.
We will still meet on Thursday, as the BOS needs to discuss this potential cybersecurity issue as the governing body and what we want to do about it, if anything.
Hopefully, you both can attend, send a department representative, or provide the BOS an update to any proactive investigations before then.
Thanks!
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 — 10:39 AM
From: Stephen Swanson
To: Heather Stancil, Michele Brant, Jason Barnes
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
Ok, I will reroute all incoming criminal calls to you and you can just tell Jason what you heard. Apparently that’s how it works in your head.
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 — 10:52 AM
From: Heather Stancil
To: Stephen Swanson, Michele Brant, Jason Barnes
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
Steve
Hopefully, you and the Sheriff can attend this meeting or at minimum provide an update.
If not, I will let you know what direction or inquiry the BOS gives or has, if any.
Thanks.
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 — 10:52 AM
From: Stephen Swanson
To: Heather Stancil, Michele Brant, Jason Barnes
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
I have a job to do and it doesn’t involve 10 meetings a week whenever you decide.
Wednesday, July 8, 2026 — 10:18 AM
From: Jason Barnes
To: Stephen Swanson, Heather Stancil, Michele Brant
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
This office will not be attending the special meeting scheduled for July 9th.
Wednesday, July 8, 2026 — 10:29 AM
From: Heather Stancil
To: Jason Barnes, Stephen Swanson, Michele Brant
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
Ok, thank you for letting us know.
Can you at least provide us an update regarding this matter?
Wednesday, July 8, 2026 — 11:51 AM
From: Jason Barnes
To: Heather Stancil, Stephen Swanson, Michele Brant
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
No updates at this time. I’ll differ to the County Attorney to release any information that he feels is appropriate at this time.
Wednesday, July 8, 2026 — 11:51 AM
From: Heather Stancil
To: Jason Barnes, Stephen Swanson, Michele Brant
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
Ok, thank you.
Board of Supervisors met at 8:00 AM Thursday morning and voted to direct outside counsel to refer the issue to the Iowa Attorney General’s office. Meeting can be viewed on YouTube. In this meeting Stancil shares that Swanson, Barnes and “the unauthorized vendor we removed in March” were accessing the server in the Annex.
Emails continued:
Thursday, July 9, 2026 — 5:04 PM
From: Stephen Swanson
To: Heather Stancil, Jason Barnes, Michele Brant
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
Heather,
I think I understand the possible security breach after listening to the meeting. It appears that someone gave access to 2 unauthorized users, you and Jess. This is a violation of the resolution which only allows the Sheriff and County Attorney to review video footage, however it appears that Travis Daniels, yourself and Jessica all violated that resolution. Nobody with the authority to authorized the company we no longer have a contract with to change the passwords to block myself and Jason from doing our jobs. There was no discussion at the board, nor was there any public vote. As much as you believe you can do whatever you want, that is not the case. Again, we don’t answer to you. Also access is limited to the county attorney, the sheriff or their designee….
Thursday, July 9, 2026 — 6:02 PM
From: Heather Stancil
To: Stephen Swanson, Jason Barnes, Michele Brant
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
Steve
Never had access to the cameras.
That is not what the resolution says.
It is still being referred to the AG & DCI.
Thursday, July 9, 2026 — 7:22 PM
From: Stephen Swanson
To: Heather Stancil, Jason Barnes, Michele Brant
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
You can refer it to Trump for all I care, doesn’t change the fact that you and jess admitted you accessed video without approval, or that you directed Travis to change the password to lock out me and jason, the two authorized users.
Friday, July 10, 2026 — 6:56 AM
From: Heather Stancil
To: Stephen Swanson, Jason Barnes, Michele Brant
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
Steve
How long have you and Jason not been able to log into the system? Did you ever ask Travis to look into it?
Friday, July 10, 2026 — 7:34 AM
From: Stephen Swanson
To: Heather Stancil, Jason Barnes, Michele Brant
CC: Jessica Hobbs, Diane Fitch
I suppose since whenever you decided to tell him to change passwords.
(end of email thread as it was provided to The Madison Report)
Read the Original July 2–10, 2026 Email Thread.
The Madison Report reached out to Supervisor Stancil and asked if any further responses had been sent on the above email thread since we received our copy and she confirmed that as of July 23, she has not received any subsequent emails.
We also asked her to address County Attorney Swanson’s assertion that she had directed a password change.
Stancil’s response: “Neither the county attorney nor the county sheriff had their login passwords changed. They have continuously retained access to the cameras to view and download footage.
The only password change involved the vendor system administrator credentials: first in mid-2025, when the authorized vendor admin access was removed and replaced with a different unauthorized vendor under a five-year, $10,000 maintenance contract signed by our Head Custodian without Board of Supervisors knowledge or approval; and then again this past March, after the Board discovered the issue and voted to restore access to the authorized vendor. That March resolution also specifically required Board of Supervisors approval of any future camera vendor or system changes as well.”
We reached out to County Attorney Swanson on July 17 with questions about the camera server issue and we have not heard back from him at the time of this publication.
This is Part 2 in a series on the Madison County camera server investigation. Part 1 can be found here. Documents including the referral letter to the Iowa Attorney General, relevant board resolutions, meeting videos and other relevant documents can be found in our Document Library.
Stay tuned for Part 3.
