The Oregon State Bar says the Deschutes County district attorney did not violate state ethics rules when he convened a grand jury to investigate a public records release.
Shortly after taking office in January of last year, District Attorney Patrick Flaherty made waves by firing a number of attorneys from the previous administration and hiring his own people take their places.
The local paper filed a public records request for the job applications for people who took those positions.
But when county legal counsel Mark Pilliod released those records, they contained personal information. By Pilliod's own admission, that information should have been redacted.
Flaherty convened a grand jury to look into Pilliod’s actions. He called off the probe after Pilliod agreed to make a public apology.
The State Bar's investigation of Flaherty was prompted by an anonymous complaint. It alleged Flaherty used the grand jury to settle a personal score.
This is the second investigation clearing the DA of wrongdoing in the matter. A separate probe, conducted at the request of the State Attorney General's office reached a similar conclusion earlier this year.
