Topeka ? A lawsuit filed against Kansas Republican Party Chairman Tim Shallenburger by a high-ranking official in the attorney general’s office has been settled, both sides said Monday.

The dispute was over a house Shallenburger sold to Bryan Brown, who leads the consumer protection division for Atty. Gen. Phill Kline, also a Republican.

After defeat in the 2002 gubernatorial election, Shallenburger moved back to his hometown of Baxter Springs, selling his Topeka home to Brown, who had just arrived from Mississippi.

But after the sale, Brown said things started falling apart in the house and that his children became ill because of mold.

He filed a lawsuit in March, alleging Shallenburger misled him about the house’s condition.

Brown sought compensation for the repairs, which totaled more than $9,000, plus medical costs, exemplary damages and $100 per hour for the time he spent dealing with the problems, according to the lawsuit.

Shallenburger denied Brown’s allegations. In a telephone interview Monday, Shallenburger said he was advised by his attorney to settle to avoid a costly legal battle.

He refused to say how much he paid Brown.

Brown also refused to say how much he received. “I wished we had been able to settle without litigation,” Brown said.