A lawsuit filed by the newspaper Wednesday asks the court to make available, subject to elimination of any private or protected information, a summary of findings by two outside attorneys who conducted an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment by former Chief Deputy County Clerk Nick Floros.

The suit, which lists Salt Lake County and the District Attorney's Office as defendants, also seeks costs and attorney fees.

The suit argues that the investigative report is a public record and a matter of public interest.

"Without access to the investigative report, the public cannot evaluate the nature and seriousness of the alleged misconduct, what supervising county officials knew about the alleged misconduct, and whether the county's investigation and resolution of the alleged misconduct was thorough and appropriate," Jeff Hunt, an attorney for the newspaper, writes in the suit.

The suit also claims that the facts in the report are the subject of a federal lawsuit by Marcia Rice, who made allegations against Floros, and have been disclosed in public court.

District Attorney David Yocom said his office is following a County Council policy that classifies the report as a private document. The policy is intended to protect the privacy and anonymity of the complainant and witnesses, said Yocom, who has recused himself in the matter because of his friendship and association with Floros.

"It's our duty to stand up for all the witnesses and the complainant," Yocom said. "We're standing firm on county policy and intend to make these same arguments in court."

The suit comes after the County Mayor's Office denied Deseret Morning News' request for the investigative report in September, the suit states.

jhill@sltrib.com