The mayor of Mooresville, North Carolina, Chris Carney, has refused to resign despite a 4-2 vote of no confidence over an incident in which he was captured on surveillance video walking around town hall without trousers in the company of a female staffer.
The Republican mayor was defiant after the Mooresville Board of Commissioners heard a presentation on Monday alleging he had violated the town's code of ethics. The incident occurred on 10 October 2024, when Carney arrived at town hall after midnight with a woman he had hired as a communications consultant at taxpayer expense. The pair accidentally triggered motion detectors twice, prompting local police to investigate.
When questioned by local media, Carney blamed a mixture of alcohol and anxiety medication for his actions, claiming he had been taken ill after dining with colleagues and that the woman was assisting him. The surveillance footage was later the subject of legal battles, with former town hall employees filing lawsuits alleging retaliation and pressure to delete the video.
Former IT director Chris Lee said the footage showed Carney and the woman entering his office for an extended period, with Carney later emerging without any clothing and visibly aroused. Lee stated that the mayor's version of events 'does not line up at all.'
At Monday's meeting, calls for Carney's resignation were met with applause from residents. Commissioner Dana Tucker expressed concern that 'the fabric of trust has not just been torn, but it is shredded and tattered.' Carney has 19 months left in his term and cannot be removed by the censure, but Tucker suggested the board could still force him out.
Carney has said he does not plan to seek re-election but is proud of his legislative legacy. He served in the US Navy, on the town commission, and as a state senator before becoming mayor in 2023.
