ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Four Alaska National Guard members have sued the U.S. Army, saying investigative and other records pertaining to them were improperly leaked to reporters and state officials.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court in Washington, D.C., said the plaintiffs have suffered humiliation, embarrassment and a potential loss of promotions as a result.

It seeks unspecified damages and to have those found responsible for the leaks to be referred to the U.S. Justice Department for prosecution. It also wants inaccurate or derogatory records expunged from the plaintiffs' records.

The plaintiffs — Shannon Tallant, John Nieves, Jarrett Carson and Joseph Lawendowski — were all part of the Guard's recruiting team. Their names also have appeared in recent news stories, based on leaked investigative reports.

In a report released in September, the National Guard Bureau's Office of Complex Investigations, called in by Gov. Sean Parnell to look into allegations of sexual assault and other misconduct within the Guard, noted a "high level of misconduct" within the Guard's recruiting and retention command.

The plaintiffs' attorney, Mathew Tully, said his clients have had consensual relationships with other adults and sought to blow the whistle on inappropriate activities.

Tully said Wednesday that he doesn't know who leaked the records. Tully said he believes the plaintiffs were singled out as part of a "smear campaign," with selective information released that did not include responses from the men or final outcomes.

The lawsuit also claims the National Guard kept information in its records related to the plaintiffs that wasn't relevant and was inaccurate.

Tully said he believed the Anchorage Police Department and FBI had opened investigations into the release of the records.

The police department has received documents related to disciplinary proceedings that it is looking at to determine if criminal cases could be filed, Anchorage municipal attorney Dennis Wheeler said. The focus currently is not on the alleged improper release of records, Wheeler said.

An FBI spokesman said the agency doesn't discuss whether or not it has a pending investigation.

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