Through his attorney, Sheriff Randall Johnson is defending his decision to demote former director of investigations Bruce Jordan three ranks and cut his pay by 35 percent.

The move ultimately led to Jordan’s retirement several weeks ago, ending his 27-year career at the sheriff’s department with a record that he says is spotless other than the discipline he received in September.

Jordan has said he was demoted because travel funds for two detectives accompanying a local baseball team to a tournament in Tennessee for a security detail came out of a federal drug seizure account — he contends the action was taken without his permission.

Jordan, whose son played on that team through the Fayette County Recreation Department, has said he did not authorize taking the money out of the drug funds because there was ample money available in the department’s travel account in the budget.

Sheriff’s attorney Rick Lindsey said the pay reduction is outlined in county policy, which states that a person reduced in rank can only be paid at the top pay grade for their new rank. Also, although one part of the sheriff’s policy limits disciplinary pay cuts to be no larger than 10 percent, Lindsey pointed out that Jordan was disciplined under another section of the policy that allowed his pay grade to be shifted from his former rank of lieutenant colonel to the new rank of lieutenant.

Lindsey declined to answer several other questions about the matter, including whether or not Sheriff Johnson was aware of the security detail. Lindsey also declined to say who actually signed the check for advance travel funds for the detectives.

As to Jordan’s contention that his appeal was pending for two months without any decision from the sheriff, Lindsey contends that he consulted Jordan’s attorney about modifying the process but Jordan’s attorney never gave “a definitive response” nor “a demand to go ahead and set the appeal hearing.”

“The decision to demote Lt. Jordan was made only after much careful and thoughtful considerations and made only after a thorough review of the facts,” Lindsey said in a letter to The Citizen. “Likewise, the degree of the disciplinary action was also determined only after careful and thoughtful consideration of all the facts, including Lt. Jordan’s many years of service.”

When Jordan retired Nov. 20, he had been on paid administrative leave, sheriff officials said.

Lindsey contends that Sheriff Johnson followed established policy in handling the demotion, and Jordan received a “fair review.”

“There was nothing tainted in the review and he was treated no worse and no better than any other sheriff’s employee,” Lindsey said.

Jordan noted that his written appeal was directed to Sheriff Johnson and not any other employee at the department. In that appeal, Jordan said he didn’t approve the funds to be spent from any of the drug seizure accounts, “and was not aware that those funds could be expended without my signature. I do not accept responsibility for any funds expended without my signature.”