ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — A lawsuit filed by Orange Beach resident Patrick McIntosh has led to the release of documents pertaining to the 2005 resignation of Tony Kennon from the City Council after less than a year in office. Kennon is a mayoral candidate in Tuesday’s election.

During this summer’s heated campaign for the mayoral post, allegations were leveled at Kennon that a sexual harassment lawsuit settlement was the reason for his resignation. When he resigned, Kennon cited business obligations as the reason.

The sexual harassment matter, as a condition of settlement, contained a gag order on all parties which prevented any of the settlement documents from becoming public.

Kennon has maintained, since the sexual harassment lawsuit has become a focus of the campaign, that he was forced from office by former Mayor Steve Russo and former City Attorney Larry Sutley.

Both were found guilty in 2006 of corruption charges in Mobile’s Federal Court. One of the major planks in Kennon’s campaign platform is that he has stood up to past corruption in the city and will rid the city of any present corruption.

“This issue is tearing apart my hometown and the voters need to know the truth before they cast their ballots,” McIntosh said.

He went on to say that he normally does not get involved in city political issues, but said he felt it was his duty to get to the bottom of this one.

Baldwin County Circuit Court Judge Robert Wilters heard testimony Thursday from McIntosh and Kennon, who filed a motion to intervene in the case.

He ruled that certain documents could be released to the public.

McIntosh said there were approximately 100 pages of documents Wilters made public, pertaining to the resignation.

McIntosh said he was happy the unsealed documents were made available to the public before the Aug. 26 election.

“That was the purpose of the lawsuit,” he said. “Now the voters can make up their minds without a cloud of secrecy.”