Former Infogroup executive and gubernatorial candidate Stormy Dean is suing his former employer for about $1.15 million for severance and bonuses he says the company refuses to pay him, according to a lawsuit filed in Douglas County District Court.
Dean, who worked at Infogroup for about 14 years as chief financial officer and in other senior-level capacities, said he was abruptly fired without cause in October.
Infogroup declined to comment. During Dean’s time as CFO, Vin Gupta, the company’s founder, former board chairman and chief executive, was investigated after investment funds filed lawsuits claiming he misspent millions in shareholder money. Gupta never was charged and maintains the money was spent in the company’s best interest.
He was replaced as board chairman and CEO in 2008.
According to the court filing, Dean was one of many individuals within the company whose actions were reviewed during a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into the company’s finances and filings, but he was never charged with wrongdoing.
The lawsuit says Dean never “suffered a conviction or a plea of ‘guilty’ or ‘non-contest’ to a felony . . . committed any act of gross negligence,” or disclosed confidential company secrets, or failed to cooperate with investigations by Infogroup, SEC or the Internal Revenue Service.
According to his February 2006 severance agreement with Infogroup, Dean says, the company owes him 1½ times his total compensation for 18 months, which totals $965,250. He also is seeking $137,500, his 2009 bonus through October, $50,000 in restricted stock and a jury trial.
Dean’s base salary at the time of his firing was $451,000, according to the suit.
Dean’s lawyer, David Domina, said negotiations with Infogroup to reach a deal immediately after his client’s firing were unsuccessful, causing Dean to sue.
Dean ran as the Democratic candidate for governor in 2002 against former Republican governor and current U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns.
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