Monroe County board votes to waive privilege on phase 1 investigation and authorize limited disclosure to attorney general

The Monroe County Board of Commissioners voted to waive privilege on phase 1 findings of an independent investigation and directed the county attorney to prepare the report for public release.

Commissioner Lamour moved to waive privilege through phase 1 findings and to have the attorney prepare a public-ready version of the report; Commissioner Huffman seconded the motion. County counsel said he would remove attorney-client markings and provide the portion of the draft report the board authorized for release. “I would remove those markings and I would provide the portion of the report that you're authorizing for release,” the attorney said in response to a commissioner’s question.

The motion passed on roll call. After that vote, the board approved a second, related motion authorizing limited disclosure of privileged information by the county attorney to the attorney general’s office regarding the investigation and the final report; that motion also passed on a roll call with several dissenting votes.

Why this matters: the board’s actions move the investigation from an attorney-client–privileged draft toward a public document and permit a limited sharing of privileged material with the state attorney general’s office. Commissioners who voted against the motions cited concerns about open-ended disclosure or process; those who voted for the measures said public disclosure and cooperation with state authorities were appropriate next steps.

The board’s motions were procedural directions to staff and counsel; no new policy was adopted and no additional funding was attached to the motions. The county attorney was directed to prepare the report for the board’s use and potential public release, and to make the limited disclosure to the attorney general’s office as authorized. The board took no further public action on the investigation at the meeting.