(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a wrongful termination verdict against the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division. Todd Halbur says he was fired from his job as A-B-D comptroller for refusing to pay an invoice after telling the division administrator the organization’s pricing practices resulted in illegal excessive price markups. Halbur was awarded one million dollars by a jury for lost wages and emotional distress.

The award was lowered under a legal cap to 351-thousand dollars. A-B-D Administrator Stephen Larson appealed the verdict, saying Halbur’s disclosure was part of his normal job duties.

The Supreme Court ruled that Halbur presented evidence that he was fired for refusing to authorize payments that violated the state pricing policy, and upheld the verdict.