State Auditor Dave Boliek is looking into an alleged settlement between the city of Charlotte and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek is looking into an alleged settlement between the city of Charlotte and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings, according to a letter sent to Mayor Vi Lyles.
In the letter, Boliek said there’s a possibility that as much as $100,000 to $300,000 in public money may have been given to Jennings for a legal settlement by the City Council. Charlotte leaders have yet to confirm the settlement, citing employee privacy laws.
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“While answers to some of the more pressing questions could be provided through quick release of information from your office — which I strongly encourage — there remains a list of unknowns regarding the potential settlement or payout to the Police Chief,” Boliek wrote. “On behalf of the citizens of North Carolina and the nearly 1 million people who call Charlotte home, the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor will be investigating this matter.”
Boliek says his office will be asking how much money has been paid, whether a payment exists, where the money came from and other pertinent questions related to the alleged settlement.
“Even if the payment was worth one penny, it should be disclosed to the public in a timely and transparent matter,” he said. “There is no tax dollar free from public scrutiny.”
The Republican Party of North Carolina’s 12th District has called on Lyles to resign in the wake of the alleged settlement, accusing the mayor of hiding behind “flimsy excuses” to avoid disclosing details of the payment to Jennings.
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