Jan 15, 2026
Owen Sullivan believed he was doing the right thing. As a labor relations specialist for Montgomery County Government, he uncovered what appeared to be misuse of state grant money and suspicious overtime billing at the Montgomery County Police Department. He reported his findings through the proper channels—first to his supervisors, then to the County's Inspector General.
Twenty-four days later, the County fired him.
On January 15, 2026, Justly Prudent filed a lawsuit in Montgomery County Circuit Court on behalf of Mr. Sullivan, a 68-year-old attorney who had earned praise from his supervisors for his productivity before he ever raised a concern. The lawsuit names Montgomery County, Mr. Sullivan's former manager, and his former supervisor.
The complaint paints a troubling picture of what happened after Mr. Sullivan spoke up. In a July 2025 memo, he reported that a police department budget manager had directed staff to process a $396,000 invoice using state grant funds for work that had not been completed—a violation the County's own Inspector General had previously confirmed. He also flagged concerns about police overtime charges billed to Montgomery County Public Schools that included billing for a football game in March, a month with no football season, and individual officers logging over six hours for a single game.
Rather than investigate, the complaint says the County retaliated. Mr. Sullivan received a negative performance review that called him "Below Expectations" while simultaneously describing him as "highly productive" and "super responsive." When Mr. Sullivan asked his supervisor for a single example to back up the claim that he "blamed others," his supervisor could not name one.
After Mr. Sullivan took his concerns directly to the Inspector General on August 12, 2025, the office confirmed it was reviewing the matter. But on September 5, 2025, the County terminated Mr. Sullivan's employment with no meaningful explanation beyond his probationary status.
The lawsuit brings claims for wrongful discharge, First Amendment retaliation, and violations of Mr. Sullivan's right to due process. For more information, read the official press release at: https://www.justlyprudent.com/press-releases/whistleblower-retaliation-montgomery-county-police-fraud