Wichita ? A former Harvey County sheriff’s office employee was fired for refusing to participate in the sheriff’s election campaign, the employee’s lawyer says.

Jeanne Drake, who was office coordinator in the sheriff’s office, was fired two weeks after Sheriff Arlis “A.J.” Wuthnow lost in the Republican primary, Drake’s attorney, Randy Rathbun, said Friday.

Wuthnow told The Wichita Eagle that Drake’s firing is a personnel issue and he could not comment.

Former Sheriff Byron Motter, who served for 17 years before Wuthnow was appointed and who was Wuthnow’s campaign treasurer in the Aug. 5 primary, said he was “very upset” about Drake’s firing.

Motter, who retired in May 2007, said Drake “was an excellent employee and always had exceptional evaluations. I did her evaluations.”

Drake worked in the sheriff’s office for 14 years.

Richard Schroeder, a private investigator, bail bondsman and retired deputy U.S. marshal who lives in Newton, said the firing has caused turmoil in the sheriff’s office and has led to concerns about other possible firings.

Steve Bayless, who last year retired as Motter’s undersheriff, said Drake’s job is “extremely important” to daily operations.

After Motter retired, a county Republican committee chose Wuthnow over Bayless to fill the job.

In his first election since the appointment, Wuthnow lost in the Republican primary to Bruce Jolliff, a trainer for the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Hutchinson and a former Newton police lieutenant.

One of the issues in the election was $29,000 in work that Wuthnow’s family business, Arlis Electric, did for the county.

Most of the work was no-bid, and most of it was for the sheriff’s office.

Wuthnow defended the work, saying the county got a good deal.

He said he didn’t seek bids because much of the work was troubleshooting and “unbiddable.”