CHARLOTE, N.C. -- The Mecklenburg County Republican Party is charging ahead with a lawsuit against the Mecklenburg County Commissioners, despite a judge denying their request Monday afternoon for a temporary restraining order.
- The Mecklenburg County GOP is proceeding with a lawsuit against county commissioners.
- The local GOP claims commissioners violated the open meetings law during the recent budget process.
- They wanted the judge to declare they broke that law and order the commissioners to cease using their private email to conduct county business.
The local GOP claims commissioners violated the open meetings law during the recent budget process, and they wanted the judge to declare they broke that law and order the commissioners to cease using their private email to conduct county business.
The Meck GOP sued commissioners after chairman George Dunlap used his private email account back on May 22 to email all nine commissioners.
"It would be truly ironic if Chairman Dunlap was asked to cut a check to the Mecklenburg County Republican Party in the face of a declaration that he had done business in violation of the open meeting law,” said Jeremy Stephenson, attorney for the Mecklenburg County GOP.
"He is not saying we have voted on this, or we all agree to this, or you have to agree to this. There is zero proof whatsoever there were deliberations within the meaningful sense of the word,” said Jim Cooney, attorney for Mecklenburg County.
The judge ordered that the turning over of evidence from the county's attorney to the Meck GOP attorney be expedited. The lawsuit names 8 of the 9 commissioners.
Commissioner Pat Cotham, who voted in opposition to the budget, was not named in the suit.