GOLDEN — A longstanding lawsuit against Jefferson County Commissioner Jim Congrove and the county board was settled late Monday, the day before it was scheduled for a jury trial.

Lori Stille, a former Arvada bank employee who had handled a number of real estate loans for the commissioner, had sued Congrove.

She contended he harassed and threatened her and her two daughters shortly after he took office in 2005.

Stille also sued the Board of County Commissioners and private investigator Daril Cinquanta. The suit alleged the board and other officials met in an illegal 2005 session to discuss Congrove's plan to threaten to withdraw $200 million in county funds from Stille's bank if she wasn't fired. Congrove was concerned she was allegedly passing loan data to outside parties.

Cinquanta, a friend of Congrove's, did surveillance and left messages at Stille's home, the lawsuit stated.

Stille's attorney, David Williams, refused to comment about the case Tuesday, saying, "There is nothing I can add."

The court ruled in favor of Congrove and the county board after Stille stipulated late Monday that she agreed with the nonmonetary judgment and that each party would bear its own attorney fees and costs.

Congrove said Tuesday: "It was all lies. The sad thing is it cost the county attorney fees."

Acting County Attorney Ellen Wakeman said the litigation — starting with the filing in May 2007 — cost $66,016. Of that, $61,097 was spent to pay an outside attorney to defend Congrove.

Stille's suit is related to a 2006 grand-jury inquiry into a complaint filed by county critic Mike Zinna, who said Congrove used his name on loan documents and forged his name on a bill of sale. A grand jury failed to decide on the allegations.