Daily Beast: “North Carolina’s Michael Whatley is taking heat for his connections to Harvey West Jr.”
New reporting from the Daily Beast and NC Newsline show that DC insider and Big Oil Lobbyist Michael Whatley continues to be in the spotlight for repeatedly appointing Harvey West, a convicted child sex predator, to NCGOP leadership.
Lying and dodging questions about West to avoid accountability has been Whatley’s MO – despite Harvey West even publicly admitting that Whatley appointed him and said he was open with NCGOP leadership about his criminal past “from day one.” West served six years in prison for sexually abusing three minors.
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Daily Beast: Trump Senate Pick Skewered for Hiring Child Sex Offender
Leigh Kimmins | July 24, 2026
- Now, with the Senate race in the Tar Heel State heating up, a new $2.3 million ad campaign from a Democratic-aligned political group is seeking to highlight Whatley’s links to West.
- He previously told the Daily Beast that he was open with the party’s leadership about his past “from day one.”
- This led to Whatley facing questions as to why he would elevate someone he knew was a convicted criminal.
- The ad, airing on YouTube, smart TVs, and streaming services, opens with a voiceover. “A police officer charged with molesting three young girls,” the voice says as news reports regarding the controversy are rolled.
- “Then Michael Whatley hired him, even though West was open about his criminal record.”
- The damning ad also includes a grinning selfie of the two men that West posted on Facebook.
- “This is Michael Whatley and his NCGOP,” the NC Democratic Party posted on X in response to the ad.
Brandon Kingdollar | July 27, 2026
- The ad includes a selfie of the two men that West posted to his Facebook page.
- Years later, during Whatley’s tenure as chair of the North Carolina Republican Party, he appointed West to the party’s rulemaking committee multiple times.
- “I openly discussed what happened. I openly discussed my time in prison. I openly discussed the charges,” West said in an interview with The Daily Beast earlier this year. “And I would tell people, ‘If you want me around, I will work and be glad to do so. If you don’t want me, I’ll go on down the road.’”
- Whatley’s ties to West resurfaced after reporting by the Asheville Watchdog in March, which covered backlash to West’s selection to moderate a Dare County Board of Education primary forum. Conservative outrage mounted soon after, leading to West’s resignation as chair of the district party.
- Whatley has not discussed his connection to West publicly, and rebuffed an NC Newsline reporter who asked why he chose to appoint West despite his criminal background.
- NC Newsline has not been invited to attend any of Whatley’s campaign events since that press conference, as Whatley’s campaign has taken an increasingly confrontational approach to the media.
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