Hickory County, Missouri has appointed a temporary deputy treasurer after the elected official who holds the post was indicted on a federal charge alleging he distributed child sexual abuse material and ordered held in jail until trial. Jeanne Lindsey will serve as deputy treasurer through Dec. 31 while Kenneth Ratliff remains in federal custody, unable to carry out the duties of the office he has held for roughly a decade and a half.
The Hickory County Commission appointed Lindsey on Monday, according to KOMU 8, which reported that Ratliff has served as county treasurer since 2010. A separate account from OzarksFirst puts the start of his tenure in 2011; the exact year is unresolved. What is not in dispute is that Ratliff, now facing a federal indictment, cannot currently perform the job.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment this week charging Ratliff with distribution of child pornography, the station reports. A federal complaint had alleged he distributed a video depicting the sexual abuse of a child investigators estimated was 8 years old, and a judge has since ordered Ratliff detained until his trial. OzarksFirst reported that Ratliff was arrested on Oct. 15, 2026.
A Decade of Public Trust, Now in Question
If convicted, Ratliff could face up to 20 years in federal prison without parole, per the station's report.
Hickory County Prosecuting Attorney Daniel B. Dysart has moved to force Ratliff out of office entirely, separate from the criminal case. Dysart filed a petition on Oct. 20 asking a judge to remove Ratliff as county treasurer, according to the same account from OzarksFirst, and the matter will ultimately be decided by the Hickory County Circuit Court.
Judge Steps Aside From Removal Case
That removal effort hit an immediate procedural snag. On Oct. 21, Judge Replogle recused from the proceedings, and the county clerk was instructed to notify the Missouri Supreme Court that another judge would need to be assigned, OzarksFirst reports. No new judge had been named as of this week.
Under Missouri law, an elected county treasurer holds office for a four-year term and continues to serve until a successor is elected and qualified — unless the treasurer is removed from office sooner, according to the Missouri Revisor of Statutes. That statute underscores why the removal petition, not just the criminal case, matters to who ultimately controls the office.
Still on the Ballot, Still Unopposed
Despite the indictment and detention, Ratliff's name remains on the ballot. He is running unopposed for his county treasurer seat, the station notes. The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri is prosecuting the federal case.
For now, Lindsey's appointment is meant to keep the treasurer's office functioning through the end of the year while the criminal case and the separate removal petition both move through the courts. Neither the outcome of the federal charge nor the circuit court's eventual ruling on removal has been determined, and it remains unclear who would ultimately hold the elected post beyond Lindsey's temporary term.
