Fired Virginia prosecutor doubles down in lawsuit against former boss

A former Virginia prosecutor who says he was fired after reporting for sexual misconduct further spoke more about his case against his ex-boss, who is now congressional candidate.HENRICO, Va. (CN) — A former county prosecutor in Virginia says his lawsuit against his ex-boss — who is now locked in a tight race for a seat in Congress — was his last recourse in his attempt to address a series of conflicts that had significantly affected his personal and professional life.“Filing this lawsuit was the last thing I wanted to do, but Shannon Taylor left me no choice,” Nicholas Emmons, a former Henrico County prosecutor, said in a statement Thursday. “I loved my job, and it was how I provided for my daughter. I am not someone who looks for conflict.”Emmons, who was fired this month, claims he was wrongfully terminated after reporting sexual misconduct. Taylor, the Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney, and two other prosecutors are named as defendants in a lawsuit seeking a total of $1.6 million on claims of retaliation, defamation and common law civil conspiracy.Taylor, a Democrat, is running against Republican U.S. Representative Robert Wittman in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District. The contest is viewed as one of the country’s most competitive U.S. House races.The Taylor campaign has hit back at the lawsuit, calling it a political job aimed at smearing her name. Her campaign has pointed out that the law firm representing Emmons is led by Wittman supporter and former Republican Delegate Mark Earley Jr.“Shannon now claims this lawsuit is politically motivated because she cannot defend the dysfunction and unlawful conduct she allowed to go unchecked in her office,” Emmons said. “I never wanted any of this, but now I have to fight for my reputation, my livelihood and my daughter. I will not stay silent while disgusting lies about me continue to spread, and I will not allow my retaliatory termination to go unanswered.”Emmons says the defamation claims stem from accusations against him, including one of rape.Emmons’ statement coincided with the receipt of copies of several recordings included with the lawsuit. The recordings provide audio details on some of the issues mentioned in the lawsuit. One involves an August event in which Emmons says a fellow prosecutor and former romantic partner trapped him in his office and subjected him to “repeated, unwanted physical and sexual contact.”In the recording, Emmons is heard telling a woman to leave as she repeatedly pleads to want to help him. The woman brings up a claim of Emmons assaulting two other women, a claim he repeatedly denies. Emmons also calls the woman mentally ill.“You are deranged and mentally ill. You’ve tried to affect my life in ridiculous ways because I won’t be with you. Leave my office,” Emmons is heard saying.In another recording, Emmons can be heard repeatedly telling the same woman to leave his home. “I’m not leaving until this is fixed,” the woman can be heard at one point repeating to Emmons, who tells her that they’re done.Emmons mentions several of the issues in the recordings in his lawsuit.Reached Thursday, Taylor’s campaign said they had nothing more to say on the matter.Wittman’s campaign said Thursday that they haven’t had any contact with Emmons or his attorneys.“Shannon Taylor’s response says everything about how she runs her office: when one of her own prosecutors reports being assaulted at work, she blames someone else,” the Wittman campaign said in a statement. “Not one word of her statement disputes the allegations.”Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads