Limestone County Commission Chairman Mark Yarbrough was cleared Wednesday of a reported ethics violation by the Alabama Ethics Commission.

Former Limestone County Water & Sewer Authority General Manager Byron Cook and LCWSA Assistant Manager Greg Holland filed ethics complaints against Yarbrough on Sept. 21, 2016. The complaints alleged “repeated and deliberate violation(s) of the Alabama Ethics Law.”

The commission issued a 5-0 vote in favor of Yarbrough, stating there were “insufficient facts” that he violated the state’s ethics law, and ruled the matter should be closed.

“The facts were straightforward that I did nothing wrong,” Yarbrough said in a statement. “My family and I appreciate the continued support of the community.”

Cook and Holland were both terminated by the LCWSA board on Oct. 27, 2016. The men then filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against members of the LCWSA, Yarbrough and attorneys Mike Cole and Mark Maclin, who represent LCWSA and the Limestone County Commission.

Cook and Holland claim the board members — Mike Hardaway, John Farrar, Ty Smith, Johnny Hatchett and Chairman Jim Moffatt — conspired to fire the men on Oct. 27, 2016. Specifically, they claim Yarbrough ordered Cook’s and Holland’s firing because Yarbrough was angry at Holland for downgrading the job review of his son, Ben Yarbrough, a LCWSA employee. They also claim Yarbrough was angry that Cook would not fire Holland for doing so.

Benjamin Yarbrough then sued Cook and Holland in December because their lawsuit contained items from Benjamin Yarbrough’s personnel file, including his job performance review. Their filing also included an assertion that Ben Yarbrough was hired “in spite of a criminal background check that would have likely prevented hire of a similarly situated applicant.”

Ben Yarbrough’s lawsuit states the release of his personnel file and Cook’s and Holland’s assertions damaged his reputation. He also claims the actions of Cook and Holland were “willful in nature” and “beyond all bounds of decency.”

All Limestone County judges have recused themselves from Ben Yarbrough’s civil suit. The Alabama Supreme Court on Wednesday appointed Sterling Watson Jr., a retired Madison County circuit judge, to hear the case.