MARSHFIELD, Mo. -- The state filed a petition Friday to remove a southwest Missouri sheriff from office amid allegations of malfeasance and misconduct.

Attorney General Jay Nixon alleges in the petition that Webster County Sheriff Ronald Worsham has knowingly failed and refused to perform his official duties since taking office in 2001.

Among other things, Nixon alleges Worsham failed to keep prisoners in custody by having jailers transport them to private businesses to work without court approval.

The petition is a civil action and would affect only his current term, which expires this year. Worsham, however, is running for re-election.

A sheriff's dispatcher said Worsham was on vacation Friday and not immediately available for comment.

Worsham told the Springfield News-Leader in a copyright story Friday that he had heard rumors that Nixon was going to file a petition seeking his removal. He told the paper the investigation was "political" and said he would fight it.

Worsham's attorney, Jean Paul Bradshaw, said he would work to get the matter resolved quickly. He noted that Worsham, who faces opposition in the August Republican primary, formerly served with the Springfield Police Department and the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

"This is a guy who has not had any significant problems in over 30 years in law enforcement," Bradshaw said.

Worsham also was at the forefront of the investigation into the allegations surrounding Rethford, Bradshaw said.

"We do not believe there are any grounds for removing the sheriff from office," he said.