Oregon Public Broadcasting

The District Attorney of Deschutes County has opened a criminal investigation into the release of job applications for employees hired by his office. 

D.A. Patrick Flaherty has subpoenaed  county employees as well as a reporter from the Bend Bulletin who submitted the public records request.

In January, Flaherty fired a number of Deputy District Attorneys from the previous administration.

Last week, reporter Hillary Borrud put in a request to the county for the job applications for their replacements.

The county turned over the documents, but failed to redact personal information such as driver’s license numbers and phone numbers.

Flaherty says that information is protected by Oregon law.

Patrick Flaherty: “We do not know whether the release of this information was intentional or just a mistake.  That is the focus of the grand jury investigation.”

According to published reports in the Bend Bulletin, Flaherty told the paper to return the records and refrain from using any information contained in the documents.

The newspaper says it plans to defend its actions in court.

Reporter Borrud is scheduled to appear before the grand jury on Friday. 

Neither Borrud nor Bend Bulletin editor John Costa would comment on the case. But in the newspaper’s story, Costa called the DA’s actions a waste of taxpayer dollars.