Polk supervisors hire attorney in extortion case

Catch up fast: Nahas was fired in 2021 over his handling of a sexual harassment allegation against Matt McCoy, the only supervisor not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

• An investigation into the matter was politically motivated, Nahas alleges.

Driving the news: McCoy's pending legal request to join the lawsuit has resulted in the Polk County attorney's office deciding it is in the best interest to hire outside counsel should the case proceed to trial.

• Supervisors agreed last week to hire attorney Michele Brott of the Dentons Davis Brown law firm for the job.

Meanwhile, in November, supervisors hired another attorney at $340 an hour to defend the county in a separate lawsuit linked with the sexual harassment allegations against McCoy.

• An attorney for McCoy also asked a judge to order the county to provide him with legal representation in the case — costs McCoy is currently covering himself.