CINCINNATI —

A courtroom showdown is shedding light on a corporate mystery involving Rodney McMullen, who resigned as the CEO of Kroger in March.

At the time, Kroger cited an investigation into McMullen's personal conduct but provided little additional information. Advertisement

Merle Heckman, a management professor at Northern Kentucky University, said, "It's hard for many people to imagine — what would it be like without him being in that role and why?"

Jewel and a partner are suing Kroger based on their involvement in getting the grocery chain's annual wellness festival off the ground. Jewel's attorneys argue that questioning McMullen about his resignation could impact his credibility as a trial witness and be relevant to "an allegedly corrupt corporate culture at Kroger."

Howev

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