In a compelling legal battle that highlights issues of employment rights and electoral integrity, Gabriel Rodriguez has filed a lawsuit against the County of Pinal. The complaint was lodged in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona on November 24, 2025, accusing the County of Pinal of violating federal and state employment laws. Rodriguez’s case centers around alleged violations of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and the Arizona Employment Protection Act (AEPA).
Gabriel Rodriguez, a resident of Pinal County and a reservist with the United States Army since 2011, was employed by the County in its Information Technology Department in March 2020. In 2022, he was temporarily reassigned to work in the Elections Department where he discovered significant issues with voting equipment. According to Rodriguez, these issues included ballot boxes unlocking without required badges and tabulation machines miscounting ballots. Despite his efforts to report these problems to both the vendor and County officials, including Elections Director Geraldine Roll and County Manager Leo Lew, no effective action was taken.
Rodriguez claims that after his deployment to Thailand with the U.S. Army in March 2023, he returned to find his job duties altered without explanation. His attempts to address ongoing concerns about voting equipment were met with instructions to keep discussions private by turning off security cameras. When Rodriguez sought whistleblower protections from Human Resources Director Claudia Lujan in February 2024, his request was denied. The following day, he was placed on indefinite paid administrative leave without clear justification.
The complaint alleges that Rodriguez’s military service influenced the County’s decision to reassign him during deployment and ultimately terminate his employment in February 2025. The lawsuit argues this violates USERRA’s protections against discrimination based on military service. Additionally, under AEPA provisions, Rodriguez contends that his termination was retaliatory due to his disclosures about faulty voting equipment potentially violating Arizona statutes.
Rodriguez seeks several forms of relief from the court: declarations that USERRA and AEPA were violated by Pinal County; compensatory damages for lost wages and benefits; punitive damages for willful misconduct; prejudgment interest; attorneys’ fees; costs associated with litigation; and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing Gabriel Rodriguez are attorneys Thomas L. Brown and Mirra L. Carrier from Ernst, Brown & Draper PLLC. The case is presided over by Judge S.H.D., under Case ID 2:25-cv-04408-SHD.
Source: 225cv04408_Rodriguez_v_County_of_Pinal_Complaint_District_Arizona.pdf