Tim Jeffries, the former director of the Arizona Department of Economic Security, dropped his libel lawsuit filed against the state after he was fired.
As a public official, he had to not only prove the statements made about him were false and damaging, but also prove actual malice. Jeffries claimed the state was trying to discredit him since he tried to expose waste and mismanagement.
"The motive for defaming him was to keep him from disclosing that he had found corruption in the governor's office and their reaction was to defame him. The court held that in a libel case it didn't matter what their motive was," said Tom Horne, an attorney for Jeffries.
Before being fired, Jeffries was accused of wrongfully terminating the jobs of nearly 500 workers, among other controversies.
The attorney for the state argued statements made about Jeffries were backed up by interviews and documents.
