Attorney General's office dismisses assistant
Amy Lawler was suspended from her job in March after going public with allegations that Attorney General Lori Swanson and other top administrators pressured her and other staff attorneys into ethically compromising situations.
Lawler claimed she was directed to file lawsuits with high publicity potential, even though the defendants had not been identified.
Swanson denied the allegations, and asked the dean of the University of St. Thomas law school Thomas Mengler to conduct an investigation.
Mengler's report found no evidence of unprofessional conduct by Swanson or other top aides. But Mengler said the conduct of Lawler, in his opinion, violated state lawyer codes.
A spokesman for Swanson said Lawler was terminated today.
A separate review of the allegations by the Office of the Legislative Auditor is still pending.
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