Colorado Springs Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn in court papers filed Friday in response to a lawsuit says an employee seeking compensation for alleged workplace retaliation that led to his dismissal was instead allowed to quit instead of losing his job amid allegations of an abrasive demeanor.

The suit was filed in May in a Washington, D.C., federal court by former Lamborn staffer Brandon Pope, who accused Lamborn of ignoring the health concerns of his staff amid the pandemic and firing Pope after he raised the issue.

Lamborn in court papers argues that Pope added “scandalous” details to the suit “for no purpose other than to harass or embarrass Defendant, to increase the newsworthy nature of this Complaint, and/or to possibly create political repercussions.”

In his suit, Pope claimed Lamborn was “willing to sacrifice the health and safety of his employees” by disregarding safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, even as the virus infected Lamborn and multiple staff members.

Lamborn countered Friday that Pope “regularly expressed his opposition to COVID-19 safety measures, including expressing his views against wearing masks and socially distancing.”

The seven-term congressman, who is represented in the case by the Office of House Employment Counsel, also filed a motion seeking to move the case from a Washington, D.C., court to federal court in Denver. Lamborn in his motion said that Pope worked in his Colorado office and relevant witnesses reside here.

A Marine Corps veteran, Pope worked for Lamborn for two years, first serving in an outreach role for veterans and troops and later as a defense policy adviser.

Pope claimed lax pandemic protections in Lamborn’s office led to his coronavirus infection, and complaints about how the congressman approached the disease led to the aide’s firing Dec. 7.

In his response, Lamborn claimed “The basis for the termination of (Pope’s) employment was (his) own failure and unwillingness to meet the office’s legitimate expectations.”

In the suit, Lamborn admits to one detail of Pope’s suit. The congressman said he did allow his son to stay overnight in his Washington congressional office “temporarily.”

Federal lawmakers were given wide latitude in how they handled the pandemic in the workplace. While some lawmakers sent their staffs home to work remotely in early 2020, others, including Lamborn, sought to keep their offices staffed.

“The office advised staff on how to take reasonable safety measures to protect against exposure to COVID-19 and accommodated individual requests for additional protective measures, while also attempting to remain available to constituents who needed the Office’s essential services,” Lamborn said in his response to Pope’s suit.

Last fall, the virus stalked Lamborn’s staff, with two workers sickened in October in an outbreak that led to the temporary shutdown of his Washington office. On Nov. 18, Lamborn announced he had tested positive for the virus, and staffers were sent home to telework until after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Lamborn recovered from the virus and was later vaccinated.

Pope’s suit seeks unspecified monetary damages to cover lost income and compensate him for “emotional pain and suffering, fear, embarrassment, humiliation, inconvenience and feelings of depression and feelings of anxiety.”

The date for the next hearing in the case hasn’t been set.