Here’s the press release from Rep. Tim Moffitt. Read the complete text of the letter from the State Board of Elections here. The State Ethics Commission dismissed similar charges in May.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBOE) yesterday
cleared Representative Tim Moffitt, finding no evidence that the two-term
Buncombe County legislator violated any laws or acted in any way improperly. It
is the second such vindication by a state-level agency in as many months.
The SBOE had investigated a claim by Biltmore Forest resident Brian Turner — who
is supported by members of Asheville City Council, including Councilman Cecil
Bothwell — to unseat Moffitt. But, in a devastating rebuke of Turner, the Board
said that Turner’s unsubstantiated allegations, “even when viewed in a light most
favorable to [Turner’s] point of view” did nothing to suggest that Moffitt did
anything wrong.
“The downtown Asheville crowd is desperate to get me out of office,” said
Representative Moffitt. “But this type of underhanded and deceitful behavior
needs to stop. It takes time, energy and resources to deal with this kind of
thing. It is a clear abuse of process for political purposes. If Mr. Turner wants
to oppose me politically, he needs to use his campaign dollars — and not the
taxpayers’.”
In March, Turner was advised by SBOE officials that his complaint would not be
received favorably due to the lack of evidence supporting the allegations. Turner
agreed and chose not to pursue a course of action at the time, later reversing
himself when pressed on the matter by the media. In the days that followed, it
was then revealed that Turner, possibly in an attempt to influence the testimony
of a witness, recorded a telephone conversation with county commissioner David
King without his knowledge. During that conversation, Turner admitted that making
the allegations against Moffitt would be “advantageous to me in my campaign”.
“If Brian Turner is willing to secretly record telephone conversations of people
he describes as ‘friends’ while he’s a candidate,” Moffitt concluded, “how can he
be trusted to act honorably in office?”
Representative Moffitt has turned the matter over to his legal team to review
what avenues may now be available to him. Such avenues could possibly include
legal action for slander, libel, and abuse of process.
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