The lawyer representing two Grand Junction Regional Airport tenants whose whistleblower suit sparked a federal fraud investigation of the operation, called a proposed settlement “a whitewash,” claiming federal investigators didn’t push hard enough to establish malfeasance.

If there’s an instance of a whitewash here, it’s what has happened since a federal judge upheld the settlement – a $16,500 fine for the airport for filing some questionable paperwork with the Federal Aviation Administration.

Even though FAA officials testified they weren’t induced by any misrepresentations to approve an expensive fence project at the airport, the case resulted in a minuscule fine compared to the $16.5 million the “relators” in the case sought.

Unfortunately, the issuance of a fine established the relators – Dave Shepard and Bill Marvel – as the prevailing party. The federal law in this context says the prevailing party is entitled to reasonable attorney’s fees, which the judge in the case calculated at $108,600.

Read more at The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.