COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Two ex-county elections officials fired by Ohio's Republican secretary of state have dropped their lawsuit against him claiming they were unjustly terminated.

Democrats Dennis Lieberman and Thomas Ritchie Sr. filed a voluntary dismissal of their case Friday. They were previously on the Montgomery County Board of Elections in southwest Ohio. The decision comes after a federal judge last month denied their request to be reinstated to the board.

The judge ruled that among other issues, the ex-officials failed to identify that a fundamental right had been violated by their removal.

Lieberman said Friday that they decided to let the case go because a successful outcome would have involved taxpayer money being awarded to them. He also said they didn't want to work for Secretary of State Jon Husted.

The Associated Press