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Firing challenged in former sheriff's corruption trial

Posted at 9:27 PM, Jun 30, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-30 23:27:32-04

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Attorneys for a former Colorado sheriff on trial for extortion focused their attention on an accusation that he threatened to terminate a $5.3 million contract involving the county jail’s health care provider.

Former El Paso County sheriff Terry Maketa is accused of threatening to end the contract with Correctional Healthcare Companies, Inc. if it didn’t fire an employee who refused to support a favorite of his to succeed him as sheriff.

The defense argued that Wendy Habert, who oversaw the lucrative contract, was a “problem employee” who was fired because of a checkered job performance.

The Gazette reports https://goo.gl/8psd4K that on Thursday, Habert said she was fired in 2013 because she accused a sheriff’s commander of sexual harassment and she refused to help Undersheriff Paula Presley in a run to succeed Maketa.

Testimony will resume Wednesday.