The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a lower court’s ruling to remove a former Pottawattamie County Supervisor from office. The state’s high court issued its ruling Friday morning that agreed with a district court judge’s decision to remove Scott Belt from his elected county supervisor position last year, ruling he was intoxicated while acting in his official capacity at a town hall event in November 2025. Court records indicate that Belt showed up to the town hall, which he was emceeing, and had to be escorted off the stage due to his behavior. Evidence presented at the district court hearings last year also included video showing Belt ordering drinks at a bar 45 minutes before the meeting, with patrons testifying he already appeared intoxicated when he arrived. The court also raised Belt’s prior record of drinking before other taxpayer-funded outings. During oral arguments before the Iowa Supreme Court last month, Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan argued Belt’s disruptions expanded beyond the town hall.
Belt had appealed the ruling, arguing that the state had failed to provide sufficient evidence that he was intoxicated at the town hall, that he wasn’t acting in his official capacity at the event, and that his over 20 years as a public servant outweigh his “10 minutes of awkwardness at the town hall.” Lawyer Gina Messamer represented Belt during oral arguments before the Iowa Supreme Court last month. Messamer says the district court did not act equitably in removing Belt from office.
Messamer also argued that Belt was not acting in his official capacity because the event was voluntary and involved no decision-making authority or board deliberation. Chief Justice Susan Christensen expressed skepticism about the argument that Belt’s attendance at the meeting fell outside his duties as a supervisor.
