STRATFORD, Conn. -- A Stratford police captain and a lieutenant pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges they accessed a job applicant's background investigation and released it to the public.

Investigators said Capt. Joseph McNeil, Lt. Orlando Soto and Sgt. Shawn Farmer, who was not in court on Tuesday, went into the department's secure record system and printed out copies of the applicant's background investigation. They also pointed out that the applicant, Christian Miron, is the brother of Stratford Mayor Jim Miron.

According to the police report, the officers printed the file and sent it to council members and the local newspaper.

The report said the officers attached a cover letter implying the mayor's brother is not a suitable candidate and that the Stratford Police Department administration is corrupt for hiring him because he's the mayor's brother.

The letter was signed "sincerely, the very disgusted residents of the town of Stratford," according to the report.

A police union attorney said the charges are just payback because one of the officers was the union president.

Jim Miron said Tuesday that he can't comment on the case because it's pending, but in a statement, he said the town doesn't tolerate any violations involving employee privacy.

Officials said that since the incident occurred, one of the officers has left the department and the other two are on paid leave.