A Bellevue Police lieutenant — demoted two years ago for having an extramarital affair with a fellow officer — resigned from the department last week, before the conclusion of an internal investigation into allegations Lt. John Manning also publicly defamed a fellow employee.

Manning had been on paid administrative leave since the first of the year, when information came up during the internal investigation that would have been grounds for termination if found to be true, according to Bellevue Police Ofc. Seth Tyler. Manning notified the city on Feb. 26 that his last day would be Friday, March 6 and interim Chief Jim Montgomery accepted his resignation on Monday, March 2. Tyler states because Manning resigned before the investigation could be completed, it will be closed with no discipline imposed.

Manning was demoted from major to lieutenant by former Chief Linda Pillo in 2013 for having an extramarital affair with Capt. Autumn Fowler, who was also demoted to lieutenant as part of the chief’s disciplinary actions. An anonymous police captain reported the relationship to the department and Manning’s wife. Police reported Manning and Fowler were demoted for not reporting the eight-month affair and due to department policy requiring officers to avoid conflicts of interest.

The lieutenant had also been the one whose report to department leadership resulted in Pillo removing Ofc. Dion Robertson from the bomb squad last year, Robertson having attended an unsanctioned Bellevue Swat Team appreciation event at the Issaquah Brewhouse in November 2013. Manning reported to supervisors witnessing the officer consume two beers before getting into a bomb squad truck and driving to another officer’s house where he continued drinking.