In an attempt to prevent the possible publication of a personnel investigation into his alleged misbehavior, a former chief deputy district attorney for Washington County has filed a lawsuit against the county.
In September 2023, the county first put 53-year-old Bracken McKey on administrative leave. In April, Mckey retired after requesting that the county declare his leave to be medical.
Although officials have reluctant to provide further details, the county has launched a human resources investigation into a personnel issue at work involving McKey.
According to county spokesperson Philip Bransford, the investigation was concluded last week.
McKey alleges in his complaint dated December 3 that he was the subject of an investigation for allegedly sending offensive and unsolicited communications, which is against county policy.
He claims in the lawsuit that the county never informed him who had complained and that he had turned down their attempts to interview him since he was no longer a public employee.
Late Monday, McKey declined to comment.
Citing the confidentiality of personnel affairs, Bransford turned down The Oregonian/OregonLive’s request for a copy of the inquiry. Asserting that the exemption does not apply in cases when an employee resigns during the investigation or steps down in lieu of a disciplinary penalty, the news organization on Monday urged the county counsel to reevaluate the decision to withhold the record.
In the case, McKey argues that since he had retired, county human resources authorities had the right to conduct an investigation into him. He requests that the court prevent any investigative reports or results from being made public.
McKey claims that when he left, the county lost the right to look into his behavior.
McKey handled some of the most delicate and well-known cases in the office over his whole legal career as a Washington County prosecutor. He was one of the highest paid workers in the county by the time he retired. He was paid $246,536.
Criminal justice is the area of expertise for enterprise reporter Noelle Crombie. You can reach her at [email protected] or 503-276-7184.
Your support is essential to our journalism. Visit OregonLive.com/subscribe to sign up as a subscriber right now.
Portland area homicides
-
Gresham woman dies in hospital after shooting that stemmed from argument over loud music
-
Jury fails to reach verdict for Portland Uber driver charged in deadly road rage shooting downtown
-
Man killed by Vancouver police was taking items from dumpster when cops approached, asked about plateless truck
-
Oregon prison guard kills his 16-year-old daughter, then himself, authorities say
-
Financier was driving for Uber during Portland road-rage shooting; coastal killing tied to drug binge; prolific burglar goes to prison
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
