BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — After an Idaho judge dismissed a whistleblower lawsuit against the Idaho Attorney General’s Office, Daphne Huang, a former deputy attorney general, has appealed to the Idaho Supreme Court.
According to an article by The Idaho Capital Sun, Huang, who represented the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, was terminated months after Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador assumed office in 2023.
Idaho 4th District Judge Jonathan Medema dismissed Huang’s lawsuit in September of this year, stating that "no rational juror could find" Huang "had proven any of her claims." The lawsuit centered on Labrador’s investigation into the Department of Health and Welfare’s management of $72 million in child care grants.
Huang's appeal, filed on October 23, argues that the ruling "erred by holding that there was no genuine issue as to any material fact" under Idaho’s Protection of Public Employees Act.
Labrador’s spokesperson, Damon Sidur, declined to comment on the appeal, while the Attorney General’s Office maintains Huang was dismissed for misconduct.
Records indicate that hours before her March 2023 firing, Huang raised ethical concerns about the new management, which Labrador did not investigate. "I had no concerns. It was clear that she was not acting in good faith," Labrador said in a deposition.
Huang initiated her lawsuit in September 2023.
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Louis J. Cohen, P.C. announces a landmark whistleblower award agreement with the United States and the State of California, securing more than $4.5 million for our cli...