A judge has ruled against Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott in a case he filed against Missouri auditor, Nicole Galloway, challenging her office’s duty to protect whistleblowers.
In 2017, the state auditor’s office received whistleblower complaints about possible misuse of resources in Greene County in connection with a tax ballot issue. According to the auditor’s office, after asking the commission to authorize an audit, the office received Sunshine Law requests for documents concerning the Greene County Sheriff's Office or Sheriff Arnott. The office fulfilled the requests but omitted any documents that were confidential and closed pursuant to law, including information that could reveal whistleblower identities. Sheriff Arnott's lawsuit challenged the auditor's duty to ensure those who report concerns of government wrongdoing are protected from retribution, according to a news release from Galloway's office.
Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem, in the ruling, said the Court finds that, as a matter of law, an individual who makes a complaint pursuant to the whistleblower statute may choose to remain anonymous “unless and until they affirmatively consent to the Auditor disclosing their identity.”
In a statement to the media, Sheriff Arnott wrote, "neither I nor anyone employed by the Greene County Sheriff's Office has ever attempted to learn the identity of the 'anonymous' whistleblower in this case. The only effort made was to learn about specific incidents of wrongdoing so they could be dealt with." Arnott said he doesn't plan to appeal the ruling.
Galloway’s office says that after the composition of the commission changed this past January, a resolution for an audit was approved. Audit work in Greene County began this summer and remains underway.
View the ruling here.
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