An Alliance Party candidate in the Stormont election is being investigated by a council standards watchdog over allegedly disclosing confidential information from a staff recruitment process.
Councillor Patrick Brown was accused of posting online information about the appointment of the chief executive for Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.
It was claimed Mr Brown, who was not on the assessment panel, disclosed the way in which he understood rival parties who were involved in the process had voted.
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Complaints were made to the Northern Ireland Local Government Commissioner for Standards and it is understood the matter is now being probed by its Local Government and Ethical Standards Directorate.
The controversy arose following the appointment in June 2019 of Marie Ward as the council's chief executive, replacing outgoing boss Liam Hannaway.
It is the second time Mr Brown, who is Alliance's candidate for South Down in May's Assembly election, has been investigated by the standards watchdog.
In 2018 he was given a six-month suspension by the standards commissioner from his council role after being convicted the previous year of drink-driving.
Mr Brown was riding his motorbike with a pillion passenger when he was stopped by police in March 2017 – just days after the Stormont assembly election in which he was Alliance's candidate for South Down.
He apologised for his drink-driving and referred himself to the standards commissioner.
However, he later launched an unsuccessful court appeal against the scale of the sanction imposed. The appeal cost the public purse more than £31,500 in relation to the watchdog's legal fees.
Asked about the recruitment process post complaints, the standards commissioner's office declined to comment due to the current Assembly election campaign period.
An Alliance Party spokesman said that "any investigations by the commissioner, whether confirmed or otherwise, are confidential until a determination is made".
A spokeswoman for Newry, Mourne and Down District Council said: "Matters relating to the conduct of councillors may be dealt with by the NI Public Services Ombudsman."
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