North Carolina State Auditor David Boliek could issue a subpoena and force the city of Charlotte to release details of a financial settlement it made with police Chief Johnny Jennings.
Boliek, a Republican, sent Democratic Mayor Vi Lyles a letter Tuesday, saying he would investigate the settlement, which stemmed from threatening text messages Jennings received from former City Council member Tariq Bokhari.
City Council member Tiawana Brown wrote on Facebook the settlement was for $300,000.
Boliek wrote that “even if the settlement is worth just a penny, it should be disclosed to the public in a timely and transparent manner.”
State law calls on cities to make legal settlements public.
But Charlotte interim City Attorney Anthony Fox has said he believes the agreement is protected from public inspection under a different law that requires most of an employee’s personnel file to be private. He has declined to release details about the settlement, and had told council members that it’s a crime to discuss any part of the agreement.
But state law gives the auditor access to information, such as records, reports, correspondence and personnel files in a “state agency.” The city of Charlotte is a political subdivision that's considered part of the state.
After Boliek’s letter, Fox said in a statement that the city will work with the state auditor, while adhering to all applicable laws.
It’s unclear whether Charlotte will decline to release information about the Jennings agreement, citing the state’s personnel privacy laws.
If Charlotte doesn’t provide the information Boliek wants, he could issue a subpoena and bring the city to court.
The dispute between Bokhari and Jennings was over whether officers should be allowed to wear new protective vests. Bokhari pushed for the vests, but Jennings at first said no.
During the summer of 2024, Bokhari told Jennings by text that he would work to get him fired and would try and cripple his legacy.
WFAE reported about the text messages in November.
Bokhari left the city last month to become the No. 2 official in the Federal Transit Administration.
The settlement has divided City Council members, with some members skeptical of how the vote was conducted and whether it was necessary.
