A lawsuit filed Monday by a former Bell police officer makes a variety of serious allegations about city officials and suggests voter fraud in a 2009 election.

According to the lawsuit, filed by James Corcoran, off-duty police officers in Bell distributed absentee ballots in a 2009 municipal election and told would-be voters which candidates to support.

The former police sergeant alleges in the suit that he was forced out of his job of 25 years in retaliation for informing state and federal authorities about the officers’ actions and reporting alleged misconduct involving City Administrator Robert Rizzo and other city officials.

Attorneys for the city did not return calls or respond to e-mails seeking comment.

Corcoran alleged that in 2009 he reported to the California secretary of State and the FBI “that off-duty police officers were taking absentee ballots and providing them to voters to fill out” and that officers were instructing individuals how to vote.

He also asserted that ballots were filled out for people who were dead.

In a June 2009 letter to the secretary of state, a copy of which was obtained by The Times, Corcoran alleged that the city manager, two police officers and other city officials engaged in voter fraud.