Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen did not break the law, according to a ruling from Attorney General Kamala Harris.
Rosen was under fire following an NBC Bay Area investigation that uncovered he ordered hundreds of time sheets be altered, giving his top paid attorneys free time off in the wake of budget cuts. The changes allowed employees to bank vacation and sick time which they could cash out later.
The state attorney general's office says after reviewing documents and conducting interviews, it found Rosen did not violate the law and is closing its investigation.
The county, however, has demanded attorneys who were given extra time off, pay it back.
In April, NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit exposed Rosen giving extra time off in the form of administrative leave. To read the first report, click here.
The attorney general in response initiated a civil investigation. The county also capped the administrative leave hours the district attorney may dole out to 40 hours per employee per year.
In a letter dated Aug. 1, 2013 to Santa Clara County Executive Jeffrey V. Smith, the attorney general's office wrote:
"On April 10, 2013, you requested that the Office of the Attorney General investigate the manner in which leave was provided to lead attorneys in the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office and whether state laws were violated by the District Attorney's Office in providing that leave. Following a review of that request, and a determination that the acts alleged were not criminal in nature, this Office undertook an administrative investigation into the issues. Based on all of the information that the County provided to us, including extensive documentation and in-person interviews, we have concluded that there has been no violation of law."
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