Former employee harassment investigation cost Idaho $14K

State invoice records show it cost Idaho taxpayers roughly $14,000 for the State Controller’s Office to hire a private law firm to investigate sexual and racial harassment claims against a top employee.

State officials said Thursday the office hired outside attorneys to prevent any conflicts of interest because the office’s general counsel reported to the supervisor facing the allegations.

A former employee in a tort claim filed last week says Controller Brandon Woolf’s former chief of staff, Dan Goicoechea (pronounced Goy-ka-CHEE-uh), engaged in abusive language and violent acts in conversations involving her and other individuals.

Woolf has denied accusations that officials condoned the harassment. Instead, the office says they immediately hired a private law firm to investigate the allegations.

Goicoechea resigned after the investigation was completed.