A Mecklenburg County state House member and a former chief deputy of the sheriff’s office filed a petition in court Monday to remove Mecklenburg Sheriff Garry McFadden from office.
The petition asks a Superior Court Judge to remove McFadden for “attempted extortion and corruption, willful misconduct and maladministration, and willful and habitual refusal to perform the duties of his office.”
Democratic state Rep. Carla Cunningham and Kevin Canty, a former deputy chief at the Sheriff’s office, made the request, along with three others. The petition cites a North Carolina statute that lays out the procedure for removing “unfit officials.”
Cunningham said she believes McFadden threatened her last year to try to convince her not to vote with Republicans to require sheriffs to work closely with federal immigration officials. She said McFadden told her he couldn’t guarantee her safety should she vote with the GOP.
The petition said that McFadden’s comments “nominally expressed concern” for her welfare. She likened them to a “mafia boss demanding money by saying ‘nice little store you’ve got there; it would be a shame if anything happened to it.’ ”
The petition also states that McFadden undermines security personnel at the Mecklenburg jail and accuses McFadden of inappropriately using his sheriff’s office credit card for travel upgrades.
And it says he directed deputies to drive officials from the National Sheriff’s Association to bars and strip clubs by using sheriff’s office vehicles during a Charlotte conference.
Canty was McFadden’s No. 2 for eight months in 2024. He resigned in a blistering letter, accusing McFadden of racism and bullying.
McFadden couldn’t be reached for comment. His spokesperson said he is aware of the petition.
Also on Monday, Mecklenburg District Attorney Spencer Merriweather said he has asked the State Bureau of Investigation to investigate the allegations. He said the state statute first requires either the DA or the county attorney to approve of the removal process.
McFadden was first elected in 2018. His tenure as sheriff has been marked by numerous controversies, including charges that he operated unsafely.
He faces three challengers in the March primary.
Also on Monday, North Carolina Republican state House member Brenden Jones asked that McFadden testify before the House oversight committee on what he said were the sheriff’s “gross mismanagement.”
