County Commission Chairman Larry Henry on Tuesday said a former finance officer in the trustee's office should not be painted as a "disgruntled employee."

Chairman Henry also said he believes Jackie Ware was threatened when she was given a tape of the movie "Marie."

Chairman Henry said, "Jackie Ware was not a disgruntled employee. She was a professional who was perfectly happy in the trustee's office until she no longer had the tools to work with."

Trustee Carl Levi on Monday, responding to an account about he and crime figure Bill Thompson asked Ms. Ware to draw up a bill that would have allowed the trustee to place the county's money in the bank of his choice, called Ms. Ware a disgruntled employee.

He said, "It saddens me that a disgruntled former employee would twist a simple request for information in such a manner."

Chairman Henry said, "Ms. Ware was not fired. She left the office on her own when Mr. Levi chose to put the trustee records on the county's software system and there were major problems with that."

He said, "Ms. Ware just wanted to do her job. When this system would not work, she was not going to take the blame for it."

Ms. Ware said she had recommended that the trustee's office move from Quik Books to another software system, but Assistant Trustee Dawn Patton said she was going to have "a Come to Jesus meeting" with county finance director Louis Wright and move to the county's software system. As a result of the move, the trustee's office has not been able to submit the required monthly reports for over a year.

Mr. Levi said Bill Thompson has been his friend for half a century and "as a taxpaying citizen" had an interest in county banking matters.

Chairman Henry said, "My concern is why was Bill Thompson there at all? I can understand a county commissioner asking about it or a county official. But why was he there unless he had an interest in it?"

On Ms. Patton giving the movie to Ms. Ware, Chairman Henry said, "I feel that it was a threat and Ms. Ware feels it was a threat."

Ms. Ware said Ms. Patton told her, "I thought you’d like to know who you’re dealing with."

Bill Thompson is a central figure in the movie that depicts a female parole board member fighting corruption in the Blanton administration. Thompson went to prison for his part in the scandal that involved cash payments for the release of dangerous criminals.