Alameda County DA Accused Of Retaliating Against Whistleblower: Report

ALAMEDA, CA — An Alameda County prosecutor is accusing the District Attorney's Office of retaliation after bringing up concerns over how certain cases were being handled, according to an Oaklandside report.

The Alameda County District Attorney declined to speak on the case, saying they could not comment on pending litigation, according to Oaklandside.

Deputy District Attorney Alexandra Grayner was placed on indefinite administrative leave in August 2025 after raising concerns over ethical and legal violations, according to a 42-page whistleblower complaint obtained by Oaklandside.

The issues appear to have begun as early as 2021, when Grayner observed what she claims was a conflict of interest between the Alameda County District Attorney's Office and the Alameda County Civil Grand Jury, according to the complaint.

At the time, the grand jury was looking into potential wrongdoing by then-DA Nancy O'Malley and her staff, according to the Oaklandside report.

She also found issues about how the officer was handling welfare fraud cases, comparing some of the practices the officer was using at the time as "extortion," according to the report.

In the complaint, which serves as a precursor to a lawsuit, Grayner says he brought up these concerns to current-DA Ursula Jones Dickson.

Grayner claims that instead of looking into the issues, Jones Dickson retaliated against her by transferring her to what she deemed a lower-level job before then placing her on administrative leave, according to the complaint.

"Since being placed on administrative leave, Grayner has suffered emotional distress reputationally and suffered by not being able to gain experience, for insatnce trial experience," the complaint reads. "This time has hindered Grayner's otherwise impeccable resume."

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