SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- A former Registrar of Voters filed a claim against the county of San Diego, specifically making allegations against two sitting members on the Board of Supervisors. Michael Vu was appointed to serve as the county's Registrar of Voters in 2012 before he took on his new role as assistant chief administrative officer in 2021. In a redacted copy of the claim filed by Vu on Wednesday, he alleged that on June 4, the Board of Supervisors bypassed him for the position of chief administrative officer, a seat left vacant due to the retirement of Helen Robbins-Meyer. State Bar of California seizes woman’s unlawful practice after complaint from a relative The claim said Robbins-Meyer had promoted Vu to his current position as her assistant chief administrative officer. However, Vu said he did not receive the promotion to fill her seat due to the actions of other county officials, the claim said. In the claim, Vu accused Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Nora Vargas of not supporting him as CAO because of his racial background. The claim said, during a conversation that occurred between October of 2022 and February of 2023, Robbins-Meyer was discussing her retirement and succession plan and mentioned staying on the job an additional year for the purpose of "assisting Michael Vu in transitioning into the job of CAO." Man arrested in Mountain View shooting According to Vu's claim, Vargas stated, "We need a person of color," to which Robbins-Meyer reportedly replied, "Michael is a person of color, he is Asian!" The claim reportedly said that Vargas responded, "That doesn't count, they have opportunities and education. We need a Hispanic of black." In response to FOX 5/KUSI's request for a statement from Vargas, the chairwoman said, "I want to address allegations about comments being made during the CAO search in San Diego County, which are patently false. I unequivocally deny making any statements that promote or condone discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or national origin."  She added, "Throughout my career in public service, I have consistently championed diversity, equity, and inclusion, and have worked tirelessly to promote opportunities for underrepresented communities. As the Chair of the Board, I’m proud that our Board unanimously agreed on an exhaustive process to select the county’s new CAO that included community input and resulted in the selection of our current CAO.  The allegations made against me are not only false but totally contradict my values and record of public service. I believe in the importance of creating a workplace that values and respects all individuals from all backgrounds.  I welcome a thorough investigation and remain committed to serving our community with integrity and dedication.”  Vu's claim also named Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer as another county official who did not support his promotion to CAO. Los Angeles D.A. to ‘reevaluate’ Menendez brothers’ convictions In the claim, Vu said that Lawson-Remer agreed to vote for him "if he agreed to make Paul Worlie the Assistant CAO" during a private phone call outside of an official session. Vu said he refused to participate in "this illegal backroom deal in violation of the Brown Act" and "with this wrongful interference in violation of Section 501.9 of the County Charter," the claim stated. Vu accused the board of retaliating against him by refusing to appoint him to the position of CAO, the claim said. In response to his claim, Lawson-Remer sent FOX 5/KUSI the following statement: "This is not the first disgruntled employee who has filed a lawsuit when they did not get hired for a job. County counsel is currently handling this lawsuit, and I stand by my vote for Sarah Aghassi to serve as interim Chief Administrative Officer and Ebony Shelton to serve as permanent Chief Administrative Officer." Vu also claims that he suffered damages including a pay cut, reduction of his base salary starting on July 22, as well as related loss of benefits. He is seeking up to $5 million in damages. The county has 45 days to investigate the claim before deciding whether to give him a settlement offer or deny his claim, which may lead to further legal action.