Morgan County facing federal lawsuit after official allegedly forced out of job; highlights issues w

SALT LAKE CITY — A whistleblower lawsuit filed in federal court earlier this month accuses Morgan County officials of government mismanagement and retaliating against two former county employees after reporting an alleged incident with a county councilman to state auditors.

The lawsuit also highlights the history of contention between Morgan County and the Utah State Auditor’s Office.

Filed on May 9, the county’s former emergency services director and fire director, Ian Nelson, is accusing one current and two former members of the county’s council of “harassment and retaliation” after speaking with the county’s human resources director and members of the state auditor’s office.

In the lawsuit, Nelson claimed that while he worked for the county in the spring of 2016, Morgan County Councilman Robert Kilmer asked Nelson to fill up a well on private property using a fire truck owned by the county. Nelson claims in the lawsuit that he was told the well needed to be filled because “citizens were running out of water,” and he proceeded to fill the well with water.

Read more: https://www.standard.net/police-fire/courts/morgan-county-facing-federal-lawsuit-after-official-allegedly-forced-out/article_bf1c929f-1910-5393-9aa6-db31d270f9fe.html