NC GOP files complaint against Roy Cooper for debate comment

The North Carolina Republican Party filed a grievance Oct. 24 over allegations made against incumbent Gov. Pat McCrory by Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Roy Cooper.

N.C. GOP Chairperson Robin Hayes filed the grievance with the State Bar after Cooper alleged in the last gubernatorial debate that the FBI was investigating a state prison contract given to a McCrory campaign donor.

McCrory immediately denied the allegations.

“As Attorney General you should resign right now for saying that,” McCrory said during the debate. “That is absolutely not true.”

In the grievance, Hayes said Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, told McCrory’s attorney that all matters related to the governor’s alleged involvement with state prison contracts were closed, and they did not wish to take any action against the governor.

Hayes said Cooper abused his position as Attorney General by making false claims about McCrory.

“I am greatly concerned by the Attorney General’s apparent use of his public office to bolster false claims of an ongoing federal criminal investigation against his political opponent,” Hayes said.

Hayes also said Cooper, as Attorney General, would know of any ongoing criminal investigations.

Even if there was an investigation, he said, Cooper would not be allowed to make that information public under the laws governing state attorneys.

Hayes said this has impacted the integrity of the gubernatorial elective process.

Jacob Smith, a doctoral candidate in the department of political science at UNC, said the Republican Party filed the grievance in an effort to settle scores with the Democrats.

“This sort of thing would be less likely to come up outside of an election season,” he said.

He said the grievance was most likely filed by the Republican Party in an effort to excite and anger McCrory supporters.

Sarah Treul, assistant professor of political science at UNC, said in an email that the grievance will have minimal effect on the election outcome.

Smith said Republicans who feel uneasy about McCrory, but really dislike Roy Cooper, are the most likely to be swayed by the grievance, but he does not think Roy Cooper supporters will change their minds.

He said the Republican Party is using the grievance as a campaign tool, and the whole ordeal will likely be forgotten after the election.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if some Friday afternoon after election day, the N.C. GOP sends out a press release saying, ‘Oh you know, we recall all of this,’” he said.

state@dailytarheel.com