State Settles With Whistleblower Over Ga National Guard Conduct

The state of Georgia will pay nearly a half-million dollars to settle a former employee’s claims that she was fired for blowing the whistle on her boss at the Georgia National Guard.

The Telegraph reports that MaryTherese Grabowski worked for the Georgia Department of Defense in March 2012 as the director of public affairs.

Part of her job was to help former Georgia National Guard Gen. Jim Butterworth handle media scrutiny over his alleged misuse of public funds. She claimed that Butterworth broke rules during her tenure there.

She said he improperly used a Guard building and other resources for charity fundraising and also demanded that she ban an Atlanta television station from access to any Guard personnel or facilities.

She was fired in 2013 after she says she complained of Butterworth’s behavior to him and another superior. The state Department of Defense admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

Tags: marytherese Grabowsk, jim butterworth, whistleblower settles suit with ga national guard over misconduct