An investigator hired by then-state Treasurer Dan Rutherford to review a former employee's allegations of sexual harassment by the one-time gubernatorial hopeful found no evidence of harassment or retaliation.
The former employee, Edmund Michalowski, filed a federal lawsuit outlining the allegations in February 2014. The lawsuit detonated Rutherford's hopes to be the Republican nominee for governor that year.
The review, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, says Michalowski's allegations are unfounded.
The investigation was conducted by Ron Braver & Associates. The firm says interviews, travel vouchers and text messages don't corroborate Michalowski's claims that he endured Rutherford's unwanted sexual advances from 2011 to 2013, or that he was passed over for promotions or raises as a result.
