BEND, Ore. (AP) — A central Oregon prosecutor is defending his decision to convene a grand jury to investigate the release of job application information to a Bend newspaper.
The Bulletin newpaper reports that Deschutes County District Attorney Patrick Flaherty wrote a letter to the Oregon State Bar saying the grand jury investigation revealed sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against County Counsel Mark Pilliod.
Flaherty’s letter comes in response to an anonymous complaint filed March 25 with the bar association about Flaherty’s conduct during the grand jury investigation.
The newspaper said the complaint asserts that Flaherty was looking to “settle a personal score” when he convened the grand jury, and should have instead turned to an outside prosecutor to conduct the investigation.
