Pinal County, Arizona — Pinal County Officials agreed to pay $40,000 to settle a defamation lawsuit accusing elected officials of disseminating false information about two county officials.

Garland Shreeves and Amanda Stanford, who work for the Pinal County Attorney’s Office, filed a lawsuit against county officials last summer, alleging supervisor Kevin Kavanaugh was trying to damage their reputation.

Elected officials had suggested that Shreeves and Stanford were involved in a retaliatory sexual relationship, with Shreeves showing people inappropriate pictures of Stanford over the phone.

An independent investigation conducted by the law firm found no evidence to support Kavanaugh’s claims. According to the investigative report, two witnesses Kavanaugh alleged told him about Shreeves’ alleged actions and denied giving him such information.

“The available factual findings are that Mr. Kavanaugh had no reasonable basis for making these allegations,” the report said.

Earlier this month, the parties agreed to a settlement that included a payment of $40,000 by the defendants, and Cavanaugh released a public statement saying it “deeply regrets the damages caused to the plaintiffs.”

The lawsuit was dismissed earlier this week after a settlement was signed. Under the terms of the settlement, both Cavanaugh and the county insurance pool will be responsible for settlement payments.

A Republican, Kavanaugh was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2020 after unsuccessfully bidding for other political positions in Arizona.

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