Former Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff is suing his former employer to pay the $1.1 million in legal fees he spent to defend himself against bribery allegations that were dismissed.
Shurtleff alleges in a lawsuit filed Thursday that Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes broke his promise to stay clear of the case by ordering a county attorney assigned to the case to dismiss charges to avoid burdening the state with legal fees.
Reyes called that claim "blatantly false" and "unfounded" in a statement sent by his spokesman Dan Burton.
The state is also likely to be on the hook for legal fees incurred by Shurtleff's successor, John Swallow. He was acquitted by a jury last week, putting him line to have his fees covered under a state law.
