A senior prosecutor in Washington County is on leave amid a human resources investigation.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Bracken McKey was on “administrative leave” effective Monday, according to an email from Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton alerting staff.
“While on leave, Bracken will not be in the office or able to conduct any work-related activities,” Barton wrote. He referred questions to Washington County.
“Due to a pending human resources investigation regarding a workplace personnel issue, we cannot comment any further at this time,” Philip Bransford, a spokesperson for Washington County, wrote in an email to OPB Tuesday.
Washington County Courthouse
M.O. Stevens / Wikimedia Commons
Bransford said that McKey was on “medical leave from his duties” as part of Barton’s senior leadership team.
“At the time when the administrative leave letter was issued on September 25, it was not clear that Mr. McKey was requesting medical leave,” Bransford said. “However, after that clarification occurred, Mr. McKey’s leave has now been classified as medical leave.”
McKey could not be reached for comment. McKey’s leave was first reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive.
Lawyers who practice in Washington County say the district attorney’s office has a reputation for aggressively charging cases. In Washington County, as in most Oregon counties, chief deputy district attorneys are largely responsible for decisions about which cases to pursue.