At their state convention last weekend, the NCGOP passed a resolution banning members who are convicted felons “involving a crime of violence, sexual abuse, or child abuse” from serving in party leadership – a direct response to DC insider Michael Whatley repeatedly appointing convicted child sex predator Harvey West to NCGOP leadership positions when he was NCGOP Chair.
[2026 NCGOP Plan of Organization Committee Report]
Whatley’s appointment of West, who served six years in prison for sexually abusing three minors, has drawn outrage from his fellow Republicans.
As the NCGOP base takes removing child predators like West into their own hands, North Carolinians deserve to know:
- Does Michael Whatley support this resolution?
- Why did Whatley “kill” a past effort to ban felons and predators from serving in NCGOP leadership?
- Why did Whatley repeatedly appoint a convicted child sex predator to NCGOP leadership positions?
“Michael Whatley spent his career repeatedly appointing a known and convicted child sex predator to NCGOP leadership positions. Whatley elevated Harvey West multiple times, even over objections from people in his own party, and when Republicans tried to ban predators from serving in leadership, Whatley squashed the effort,” said Mallory Payne, senior communications advisor for the North Carolina Democratic Party. “After three months of silence, North Carolinians deserve to know if Whatley supports this resolution and why he repeatedly appointed a convicted child sex offender to NCGOP leadership? Whatley putting his political allies over children’s safety is disgusting and disqualifying.”
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