Challenger claims political retaliation in federal lawsuit against Jackson County Sheriff Mike Sharp

Brice Stewart, a Jackson County computer technician who plans to run for sheriff in 2016, claims in a lawsuit filed in federal court that he was relieved of his duties at the sheriff’s department office in Lee’s Summit after Sheriff Mike Sharp learned that Stewart intended to run in 2016.

Stewart further claims in the suit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, that as a result of what he called “political retaliation,” he is being relieved of other duties he’s had since 2007 as the primary computer technician for county offices in eastern Jackson County.

At the end of the year, he will instead be working at the courthouse in downtown Kansas City. Stewart claims that is a hardship because he lives in Independence, where he now does much of his work.

In addition to Sharp, the suit names as defendants Jackson County and four county employees who Stewart claims acted on Sharp’s alleged request to have him reassigned.

Neither Sharp nor a county spokesman immediately responded to a request for comment. Stewart declined to comment and is representing himself in the lawsuit, which seeks $500,000 in damages.

This is the second time Stewart has alleged mistreatment for political reasons. Last year, Jackson County officials seized and searched his county-issued desktop and laptop computers shortly after he filed to run for county executive as a Republican against the Democratic incumbent and current County Executive Mike Sanders.

His access to other county employees’ computers was restricted for a month while Jackson County Counselor W. Stephen Nixon investigated what he said were “allegations of unauthorized access to confidential records.”

Nixon declined to say what those allegations were or comment on the results of the investigation. But Stewart said he was cleared of any wrongdoing and claimed the county probe was “a bullying and intimidation tactic” aimed at getting him to pull out of the race. He stayed in, but finished second to Sanders in a three-way race last November.

Sharp, a Democrat, was elected sheriff in 2008 and re-elected in 2012. He has not stated publicly whether he will run for a third term, but his campaign committee remains active.

This story was originally published September 15, 2015 at 11:52 AM with the headline "Challenger claims political retaliation in federal lawsuit against Jackson County Sheriff Mike Sharp."