Fresno County has reported a $220,000 settlement in a wrongful termination case brought by a former staffer for board chair Garry Bredefeld that involved the supervisor’s top assistant.

The settlement includes a denial of wrongdoing from the county, County Counsel Doug Sloan announced following closed session on Tuesday.

In November 2025, Jennifer Ortega filed a claim against the county saying she had been the victim of sexual discrimination, harassment, and workplace violence before being fired in September 2025.

That harassment and violence allegedly came from Daniel Gai, previously convicted of domestic violence, and who followed Bredefeld from City Hall to the county.

Taxpayer funding to settle the suit came from the county’s General Fund because the amount fell below the threshold for insurance coverage to kick in, Bredefeld told GV Wire.

“As the county counsel reported at the last board meeting, the claim has been resolved with no admission of fault for the amount of $220,000,” Bredefeld said.

Gai did not immediately respond to a request for comment from GV Wire.

Ortega’s Attorney ‘Pleased’ With Settlement

“I am pleased we were able to settle Ms. Ortega’s case with the County of Fresno so quickly after the complaint was filed,” said Fresno attorney Laura E. Brown. “Last week’s settlement supports the rights of employees everywhere who blow the whistle on workplace misconduct.

“In her complaint, my client alleged she objected to a hostile, threatening confrontation with her then-supervisor Daniel Gai in June 2025, reported it to Fresno County Supervisor Garry Bredefeld, and was fired without cause shortly after.

“California law protects employees who speak up, including in many cases a presumption of retaliation where an employee is fired within 90 days of a protected complaint. Ms. Ortega used the process the law provides, and I thank the county for resolving the matter with us so amicably.”

Bredefeld said she was fired for poor work performance.

“Unfortunately in this litigious state, it is sometimes significantly most cost effective to settle a case than go to court which is what happened,” Bredefeld told GV Wire.

What Ortega Alleged Happened

Ortega’s lawsuit alleged that in June 2025, Ortega sent a text notifying Gai and Bredefeld about a media request.

“Gai returned to the office visibly upset and shouted at (Ortega) using swear words,” the legal complaint stated.

Gai continued to yell at Ortega, following her to her office and using phrases such as “don’t play games with me,” and “don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” while shaking his finger in her face.

Later, he sent her home.

In her complaint, Ortega — a former publicist for the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and news reporter with KSEE 24/CBS 47 — said that she felt frightened because she had known about Gai’s violent past.

The complaint stated that Ortega reached out to Bredefeld, who tried to reconcile the two by making Gai apologize, assuring her it would never happen again. Bredefeld allegedly told her there was no need to file a complaint because he would handle it.

Gai apologized the next Monday.

Gai’s “rant” was apparently loud enough that another Fresno County employee reported the incident to the county clerk, who informed County Administrative Officer Paul Nerland’s office.

Ortega reported her duties being affected after the incident, including being “iced” out of responsibilities. She was fired in September 2025 “without cause,” the lawsuit stated.

Gai’s Criminal History

In 2019, sheriff’s deputies arrested Gai after he got drunk, attacked his then-fiancée and her mother, and endangered a child.

The Fresno Bee in 2022 reported that Gai pled no contest to one count of committing corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, three counts of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, one count of child endangerment, and two counts of felony criminal threats.

Gai was sentenced to four years’ probation.

In 2021 Gai resigned from his job as assistant to Bredefeld.

Bredefeld rehired him as chief of staff in 2024, calling him a “changed man.”