State to pay $1.15M in ethics commission case

ATLANTA (AP) A final settlement says the state will pay more than a million dollars to the former director of the state ethics commission and her lawyers.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports a settlement agreement was signed Wednesday. According to its terms, Stacey Kalberman will receive just over $725,000, and her lawyers will get nearly $425,000, for a total of about $1.15 million.

Kalberman alleged ethics agency commissioners in 2011 cut her salary and eliminated her deputy's position as the pair sought to issue subpoenas in their investigation into ethics complaints against Gov. Nathan Deal.

Commissioners denied any wrongdoing. But a jury last month awarded Kalberman $700,000 in damages.

Deal was later cleared of major violations in the ethics probe and agreed to pay $3,350 in administrative fees.