Whistleblower who reported prosecutors' wife-hiring scheme wins $1.8M jury award
The former staffer who reported three years ago that then-Person County District Attorney Wallace Bradsher had hired a colleague's wife for a no-show job has won a $1.8 million jury award under North Carolina's whistleblower law.
Posted — UpdatedBoth prosecutors resigned amid the investigation.
Bradsher’s wife did the work she was paid for in Craig Blitzer’s office, according to state investigators.
Craig Blitzer also testified about the scheme in Halbrook's whistleblower trial, while Bradsher invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself.
"More than three years ago, Debbie Halbrook stood up for all of us when she reported Wallace Bradsher’s crimes. He fired her for reporting those crimes, and it has been a long, hard road to get justice for her," Halbrook's attorneys said in a statement. "A Wake County jury delivered that justice for Debbie. She is gratified by the jury’s verdict, but she is most gratified by the fact that the justice system worked.
"North Carolina’s whistleblower law protects the brave public servants who risk everything to come forward and report government wrongdoing," the statement said. "[The] verdict sends a message that these brave whistleblowers will be protected."
Related Topics
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.