Prosecutors said Michael Nichols was a key middleman in former sheriff Laurie Smith’s illegal pay-for-play gun permit scheme, introducing executives at AS Solution Inc., a company seeking gun permits, to local lawyers and and the Sheriff's Office. 

The political watchdog got the complaint on the matter on Jan. 14, days after the grand jury transcripts became public.

The order stems from an appeal filed by one of several defendants accused of conspiring to exchange bribes for concealed gun permits

Attorneys for local insurance broker Harpreet Chadha and Apple security chief Thomas Moyer call the pay-to-play allegations baseless.

The charges name Apple’s Thomas Moyer, insurance broker Harpreet Chadha, Undersheriff Rick Sung and Capt. James Jensen.