AUGUSTA (AP) — The Maine Center for Disease Control official who was ordered to shred public documents said there was concern that a newspaper was going to request the materials.

Sharon Leahy-Lind, director of the CDC’s Division of Local Public Health, resigned in July and sued in the fall under the Whistleblower Protection Act.

Leahy-Lind told the Government Oversight Committee on Friday that supervisors were worried that a newspaper would request scoring results related to competitive awards of funding for 27 Healthy Maine Partnerships. She contends she was harassed and assaulted after refusing to destroy the documents.

The Portland Press Herald says William Boeschenstein, chief operating officer of the Department of Health and Human Services, told lawmakers that his office has taken steps to ensure documents are properly handled and retained.