
If you feel an elected official may have inappropriately used state resources for political campaign purposes, it’s relatively easy to file a complaint with the North Carolina State Ethics Commission.
Overview of ethics complaints
The Ethics Commission investigates possible violations of General Statute Chapter 138A, also known as the State Government Ethics Act
Here’s an excerpt you may find interesting:
Article 4.
Ethical Standards for Covered Persons.
§ 138A-31. Use of public position for private gain.
(a) Except as permitted under G.S. 138A-38, a covered person or legislative employee shall not knowingly use the covered person’s or legislative employee’s public position in an official action or legislative action that will result in financial benefit to the covered person or legislative employee, a member of the covered person’s or legislative employee’s extended family, or business with which the covered person or legislative employee is associated. This subsection shall not apply to financial or other benefits derived by a covered person or legislative employee that the covered person or legislative employee would enjoy to an extent no greater than that which other citizens of the State would or could enjoy, or that are so remote, tenuous, insignificant, or speculative that a reasonable person would conclude under the circumstances that the covered person’s or legislative employee’s ability to protect the public interest and perform the covered person’s or legislative employee’s official duties would not be compromised.
(b) A covered person shall not mention or authorize another person to mention the covered person’s public position in nongovernmental advertising that advances the private interest of the covered person or others.
If you feel an elected official may have violated this act, you can easily fill out and submit a complaint. Here are the steps you’ll follow:
Print and complete Complaint Form
Attach relevant documentation as needed (for example, printed versions of text messages or emails)
Get your signature notarized
Mail complaint to the State Ethics Commission at the PO Box indicated on the form
Once again, here’s a link to the form:
https://ethics.ncsbe.gov/library/docs/compForm.doc