A candidate running for Dallas County Board of Supervisors harassed and threatened county employees for months, according to an email that County Recorder Chad Airhart sent to the county attorney last month.

Airhart said he is "genuinely" concerned for his safety after reading Facebook posts that Michael "Wombat" Walrod wrote when his wife was fired from the county recorder's office last fall.

Walrod is running as an independent candidate for the Board of Supervisors in District 3, which includes the cities of Adel, DeSoto and Van Meter.

He has not been charged with a crime.

When reached by a reporter, Walrod dismissed the recorder's claims, calling them a campaign smear.

Airhart's email to the county attorney, which the Register obtained through an open records request, included screenshots of Walrod's social media posts, including one in which he wrote about seeking vengeance for his wife.

"No threat intended but one way or another I will get my Justice for my wife, even if I have to die," Walrod wrote.

Airhart included a timeline from this summer detailing Walrod's behavior toward recorder's office employees. He wrote that Walrod repeatedly showed up at the courthouse, parked next to his car for long periods, stared at his office windows and drove by the home of an employee at night.

"It is clear from these early posts and actions that he is doing whatever he can to antagonize and harass me," Airhart wrote.

Airhart filed a police report in October last year after Walrod began posting about his wife's firing online.

In his Sept. 12 email, Airhart asked Dallas County Attorney Wayne Reisetter to either bring charges or transfer the case to another county for prosecution.

"I should not have to be looking over my shoulder every time I go outside," he wrote.

Walrod said the screenshots of his social media posts are almost a year old.

"There are two sides to every story, and I won't waste my time by getting drawn into this obvious campaign smear," he said. He declined to comment further.

Reisetter said he could not comment on the issue, citing an open investigation. Airhart also declined to comment, and instead referred a reporter to his email.

In one lengthy Facebook post, Walrod writes about being in a dark place after his wife's firing and his mother's death. The screenshots do not include dates and the posts have since been deleted.

"I have become unsociable, untrustworthy, hateful, and filled with anger over this," he wrote. "I am having mental issues with thoughts that scare me."

Tonya Walrod was fired by Airhart on Oct. 26, 2017, for violating county policy on employee conduct and professionalism, according to a termination document. She was employed as a clerk in the Dallas County Recorder's Office for more than 18 years and earned about $42,000 a year.

Walrod does not refer to Airhart by name in that post, but he does reference the elected official who works in the recorder's office. Later, he addresses other county employees who have "shunned" his wife, writing: "Bend over and let the man drive you home and cover your mouth to keep you quiet while doing it. Vengence (sic) is my name."

In a different post, Walrod addresses his Facebook friends who may have talked to Airhart and other employees in the recorder's office.

"If I find out who you are you will not like the consequences," he wrote. "In no way a threat just a promise. At this point I don't care if I end up arrested or dead over this."

Airhart's timeline details 12 run-ins with Walrod over 11 weeks this summer. Most occurred at or near the county courthouse in Adel, but in one instance, Airhart claims Walrod was seen driving past Deputy Recorder Tori Long's home in Grimes at night.

The county attorney's response to Airhart was not included in the Register's records request because it is relevant to an open criminal investigation.

Airhart's email takes the county attorney to task for his failure to bring charges.

"I have talked to multiple respected current and former County Attorney’s (sic) that all feel there are grounds for stalking charges, and at a minimum grounds for harassment charges," he wrote.

Airhart, a Republican, is seeking re-election as county recorder. He is running unopposed.

Reisetter, a Democrat, is seeking re-election as county attorney. He's running against Republican Chuck Sinnard, an assistant county attorney in Dallas County.

Walrod announced his campaign for Dallas County supervisor in August. He's running in District 3 against incumbent Republican Kim Chapman, Democrat Patricia Stalter and independent Robert Greenway.