LOS ANGELES  - Legal wrangling escalated today over the L.A.  County Sheriff's Department's corruption probe of County Supervisor Sheila  Kuehl and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority -- with a judge barring  investigators from delving into computers seized from Metro during searches  this week, and the sheriff's department claiming the county fired its attorney  in the matter.

The sheriff's department issued a statement Friday morning accusing  the county of barring the county counsel from representing the agency in  matters involving the investigation and defense of search warrants that were  served Wednesday at Kuehl's home and office, at the offices of Metro and the  home and office of Patricia Giggans, a friend of Kuehl and founder of the  nonprofit group Peace Over Violence.

  ``This is exactly the type of obstruction, interference, and political  shenanigans which Sheriff Alex Villanueva fights against daily,'' according  to the sheriff's department. ``We are now forced into a position of being  unrepresented with no county authorization to pay for legal representation and  reduced to solicit pro bono representation in this matter.''

The complaint came one day after a Los Angeles Superior Court judge  issued an order barring the sheriff's department from searching computers  seized from Metro's Office of Inspector General during the series of raids on  Wednesday.

Attorneys for the Metro OIG challenged the legality of the warrants,  arguing that a separate judge had previously ordered that a special master be  appointed to review materials seized from the transit agency. In his ruling  Thursday, Superior Court Judge William Ryan scheduled a hearing for next  Thursday, asking a series of questions -- including why the sheriff ignored the  previous ruling and went to a different judge to get the search warrants  signed.

In his ruling, obtained by LAist, Ryan specifically wrote that he wants to know ``how was it determined that the warrant application would be presented to Judge Craig Richman, and by whom?''

   Ryan's ruling barring the search of computer equipment applies only to  items taken from the Metro OIG. Kuehl, Giggans and other targets of the  warrant had not yet filed such challenges as of Friday, but Ryan's ruling could  prompt them to do so.

The sheriff's investigation stems from allegations that Kuehl, as a  member of the Metro Board of Directors, helped steer a series of contracts  worth more than $800,000 to Giggans' Peace Over Violence organization to  operate a sexual-harassment hotline for workers and riders on the Metro transit  system.

Giggans is a longtime friend of Kuehl, who appointed Giggans to the  county Civilian Oversight Commission, which oversees the sheriff's department.

Kuehl and Giggans are also both vocal critics of Villanueva, who has  clashed repeatedly with the Board of Supervisors. Villanueva has repeatedly  insisted that he recused himself from the investigation being carried out by  the department's Public Corruption Unit -- a unit that critics contend is being  used to target the sheriff's political opponents.

Villanueva, appearing on Fox11 Wednesday night to discuss the case  despite saying he had recused himself from any involvement, defended the probe,  saying it originated with a legitimate complaint of alleged criminal  wrongdoing.

That complaint came from a former Metro employee, Jennifer Loew, who  sued Metro for alleged retaliation and recently reached an out-of-court  settlement.

A sheriff's department affidavit in support of the search warrants  served this week did not cite Loew by name, but only described a ``witness''  who alleged that former Metro CEO Phillip Washington pushed the sole-source  contract to Peace Over Violence ``to remain `in good graces' with Supervisor  Sheila Kuehl.''

The witness also claimed she pointed out billing irregularities  involving Peace Over Violence to Washington, who ordered her to pay the bills  because he did not want to ``upset any of Supervisor Sheila Kuehl's friends.''

Washington, who is now CEO of Denver International Airport, has been  nominated by President Joe Biden to become the next administrator of the  Federal Aviation Administration. News of the sheriff's investigation, however,  could impede that nomination.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, ranking member of the Senate  Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, issued a statement Wednesday  expressing concerns about the corruption allegations.

   ``When Mr. Washington was nominated in July, I expressed my skepticism  surrounding his lack of experience in aviation,'' Wicker said. ``Now I am  deeply troubled to learn the nominee was named in a search warrant that ties  him to allegations of corruption at LA Metro. The committee's vetting process  will require additional scrutiny and review into his leadership at LA Metro. I  anticipate that this nominee's credibility will also be a key focus of the  committee.''

Washington could not be reached for comment.

  Kuehl told reporters outside her home Wednesday the investigation was  ``bogus,'' suggesting it was a continuation of Villanueva's criticism and  allegations of wrongdoing by the Board of Supervisors. She said she has no  knowledge about the awarding of the Peace Over Violence contracts for the  sexual harassment hotline.

  ``What this is all about is a disgruntled employee at Metro who was  let go who became obsessed with a contract that Metro took with Peace Over  Violence related to sexual harassment so that they would take the calls,''  Kuehl said. ``And she claimed that I had something to do with the contract,\  which was completely false.''