Former sergeant sues Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright, alleging political retaliation
WYFF News 4
[{'start': '1.067', 'end': '6.005', 'text': "SLED IS CONTINUING TO  INVESTIGATE.  IN WYFF, NEWS FOUR INVESTIGATES,  WE'RE TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT A  LAWSUIT THAT'S BEEN FILED  AGAINST THE SPARTANBURG COUNTY  SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND SHERIFF  CHUCK WRIGHT.  THIS IS THE SECOND LAWSUIT THIS  YEAR.  RASHAD WILLIAMS JOINS US NOW  WITH A BREAKDOWN.  YEAH, A LOT OF LAYERS TO THIS  LAWSUIT, WHICH COMES FROM A  FORMER SPARTANBURG COUNTY  SHERIFF'S OFFICE EMPLOYEE.  ACCORDING TO THE LAWSUIT, TRACY  MOSS, WHO IS A FORMER SERGEANT,  IS ACCUSING THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE  AND SHERIFF CHUCK WRIGHT OF  WRONGFUL TERMINATION AND  MALICIOUS PROSECUTION.  THE LAWSUIT ALLEGES RETALIATORY  ACTIONS TIED TO PRESUMED  POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR SHERIFF  WRIGHT'S OPPONENT IN THE LAST  PRIMARY ELECTION.  ACCORDING TO THE LAWSUIT,  SHERIFF WRIGHT TOLD MOSS  SUPERVISOR AFTER DISCOVERING HER  ALLEGED SUPPORT FOR HIS OPPONENT  THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO FIRE HER.  MOSS ALSO CLAIMS SHE HEARD FROM  MULTIPLE EMPLOYEES THAT SHERIFF  WRIGHT HAD A HIT LIST AND WAS  GOING TO, QUOTE, BE TAKING  PEOPLE OUT WHO HE DEEMED TO BE  SUPPORTING HIS OPPONENT.  NOW, YOU MAY REMEMBER BACK IN  FEBRUARY, WE TOLD YOU ABOUT A  LAWSUIT AGAINST THE SHERIFF'S  OFFICE AND CHUCK WRIGHT ALLEGING  WRONGFUL DISCHARGE AND  DEFAMATION.  WHEN WE SPOKE WITH THE SHERIFF,  THEN HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE LAWSUIT  AND SAID HE WOULD WAIT FOR THE  CASE TO SIMPLY PLAY OUT IN  COURT.  THAT PARTICULAR LAWSUIT WAS  FILED BY FORMER LIEUTENANT  JEREMY BIRD, WHICH CLAIMS HE WAS  FIRED AFTER RAISING CONCERNS  ABOUT SHERIFF WRIGHT'S SON BEING  HIRED AT THE DEPARTMENT.  WRIGHT WAS THEN INVESTIGATED BY  THE ETHICS COMMISSION FOR A  POTENTIAL ETHICS VIOLATION.  THE SUIT ALSO CLAIMS THAT AFTER  BIRD'S FIRING, WRIGHT MADE  COMMENTS THROUGHOUT THE  DEPARTMENT, CALLING HIM A,  QUOTE, MOLE.  WELL, TODAY WE REACHED OUT TO  BOTH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND  SHERIFF CHUCK WRIGHT ABOUT THIS  NEW LAWSUIT.  THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAD NO  COMMENT.  SHERIFF CHUCK WRIGHT DID NOT  RESPOND.  AND THIS ALL COMES AS SHERIFF  CHUCK WRIGHT IS ON A LEAVE OF  ABSENCE.  THAT ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE LAST  MONTH, BUT DETAILS SURROUNDING"}]