Supervisors approve $60,000 settlement for fellow Supervisor Matt McCoy's libel case

Lee Rood, Des Moines Register
Updated ·3 min read

Polk County supervisors Tuesday approved a $60,000 settlement to resolve an unusual and explosive libel, extortion and civil conspiracy case brought by Supervisor Matt McCoy against four fellow supervisors and County Administrator John Norris.

The amount, recommended by Polk County Risk Management, cover McCoy’s current and future legal costs. The resolution to be voted on Tuesday says the settlement is “in the best interest of the public that the claims be resolved without the expense and risk of continued litigation.”

In a statement released Tuesday morning, McCoy withdrew all of his allegations against his fellowsupervisors, Norris, and the county attorney. The statement said McCoy "reaffirms his respect for his colleagues and their history of public service, and welcomes a return to working closely with them."

Polk County Supervisor Matt McCoy thanks key supporters at the Riverview Park Grand Opening celebration on June 4, 2021, at 710 Corning Ave in Des Moines. The event features opening ceremonies, a free concert with the Tony Bohnenkamp Band on the Prairie Meadows Riviera Amphitheater, a giant all-inclusive playground, plus food and beverages.
Polk County Supervisor Matt McCoy thanks key supporters at the Riverview Park Grand Opening celebration on June 4, 2021, at 710 Corning Ave in Des Moines. The event features opening ceremonies, a free concert with the Tony Bohnenkamp Band on the Prairie Meadows Riviera Amphitheater, a giant all-inclusive playground, plus food and beverages.

McCoy's was one of several lawsuits filed by current or former county employees stemming from a contentious period in county government politics after he took office in 2019.

A civil suit filed in 2021 by ousted former human resources chief Jim Nahas, which helped stir those divisions, isn’t scheduled to go to trial until October.

More: Polk Supervisor McCoy sues fellow supervisors, county administrator, alleging conspiracy

The county also has sought to dismiss, and a judge has yet to decide, a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit brought in 2022 by Deputy County Administrator Sarah Boese against McCoy and the county. This month, Julie McCauley, Boese's former assistant, also sued Boese personally for abuse of process and intentional infliction of emotional distress, alleging her former boss tried to block her from obtaining workers' compensation benefits tied to a hostile work environment. McCauley dropped another lawsuit against the county tied to that benefits claim.

In 2018, McCoy, then a state senator, defeated longtime supervisor and fellow Democrat John Mauro in a bitter and costly race for a seat on the five-member county board. He painted himself as someone who wanted to clean up county government after a period when, he said, county leaders failed to investigate serious matters raised by employees involving county officials.

Before he took office in 2019, the county had faced allegations by employees of a hostile work environment, misuse of county personnel, electioneering and harassment. McCoy alleged — and the county denied — that county leaders ignored looking into those matters. He also alleged his colleagues exposed him to public hatred, contempt and ridicule; threatened to harm his professional reputation; and tried to coerce others into saying he made vulgar and violent statements against Boese, which he has denied.

In his civil lawsuit, filed last year, McCoy alleged fellow supervisors and Norris pursued an intentional campaign to get rid of him and Nahas, a political ally, who was forced to leave his job in January 2021.

McCoy previously sought to join the lawsuit brought by Nahas, who was fired after six years as the county’s human resources chief. Nahas alleged county leaders agreed to use county resources ― including lawyers working for Polk County ― to defend their own conduct while denying McCoy access to information and legal representation that he needed to defend himself.

More: Polk County seeks to participate in Summer EBT program, despite state's refusal

Nahas also contended county officials released a "false and defamatory" termination letter to media outlets as payback for his not resigning quietly and for failing to corroborate during an investigation allegations that McCoy had made the violent, sexist comments about Boese.

In June, the Iowa Supreme Court nullified five claims by Nahas including that county leaders plotted to oust him in violation of public policy, but the state's high court paved the way to litigate two counts of libel and civil conspiracy.

Lee Rood's Reader's Watchdog column helps Iowans get answers and accountability from public officials, the justice system, businesses and nonprofits. Reach her at lrood@registermedia.com, at 515-284-8549, on Twitter at @leerood or on Facebook at Facebook.com/readerswatchdog.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Polk County supervisors approve settlement for Matt McCoy's lawsuit