Allegations of doctored evidence and cover-ups have enveloped the reverse discrimination lawsuit targeting Orange County Assessor Webster J. Guillory, the only African American holding countywide elected office.

The assessor is accused of promoting a black employee over a more experienced white worker, who alleges that he was passed over for the job of managing auditor even though, he says, he received a higher score in interviews.

The lawyer representing the white employee, Ronald Cooper, on Thursday told a jury during closing arguments in Orange County Superior Court that Guillory "embarked on a campaign to cover up the truth" by manufacturing personnel documents and hiding interview records after he learned that Cooper planned to challenge the promotion of an African American colleague.