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In a video statement on Sept. 17, 2025, Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden said he has been betrayed by former staffers who came out and criticized him to reporters.
Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office
Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather asked state law enforcement to investigate whether Sheriff Garry McFadden abused his position and broke the law.
McFadden, a Democrat who has been sheriff since 2018, faces the prospect of being removed from office after more than a year of public controversies.
In a superior court petition filed Monday, four former sheriff’s office employees and a state lawmaker laid out a long series of allegations. Among their claims: McFadden had deputies drive people to bars and strip clubs, ordered other sheriff’s office staff to work on his campaign website and threatened state Rep. Carla Cunningham in a phone call.
“I don’t want to see you get hurt; you live in my county,” the petition alleges the sheriff told Cunningham when trying to convince her to vote a certain way on an immigration- and law enforcement-related bill.
Merriweather, also a Democrat, said in a news release that he learned of the petition on Sunday evening.
“District Attorneys have only rarely granted the approval of such a petition, with the understanding that election of a community’s official is a binding choice of the public, which should only be superseded under the most grave circumstances,” he said in that release.
State law requires that a district attorney or county attorney approve a removal petition before it can move forward.
In his letter to the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, Merriweather noted that McFadden is not just accused of misconduct, but crimes in some instances.
McFadden did not respond to phone calls and messages seeking comment on Monday. Spokesperson Sarah Mastouri said he was aware of the petition, but had no comment.
“The request has been assigned to the SBI’s Professional Standards unit for investigation,” SBI spokesperson Chad Flowers confirmed in an email. “The SBI will not comment further on the status of the investigation.”
Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
This story was originally published January 5, 2026 at 4:48 PM.
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Ryan Oehrli
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