NC Republicans Launch Investigation Into Senate Candidate Roy Cooper
Republican lawmakers announce committee to probe Roy Cooper’s handling of pandemic prisoner releases as Senate race intensifies.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA — North Carolina’s Republican-led General Assembly announced the formation of a committee to investigate Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Roy Cooper, focusing on a 2021 court-ordered settlement that released roughly 3,500 prisoners during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations Subcommittee on Prisons will examine the settlement between the Cooper administration and civil rights groups, which Republican leaders have made a central attack line against the former governor ahead of the November election.
The joint legislative panel consists of 10 Republicans and four Democrats, with Sen. Buck Newton (R-Wilson) and Rep. Brenden Jones (R-Columbus) serving as co-chairs.
Republican Leaders Criticize Prison Releases
House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) characterized the prisoner releases as a significant public safety failure. “This committee will investigate exactly how these early release decisions were made, who was responsible, and whether proper safeguards were followed,” Hall said in a statement.
Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) accused Cooper of deliberately concealing information about the releases from the public. “He made every effort to hide what he did, and Republicans in the General Assembly are going to hold him and Gov. Stein accountable for releasing violent, repeat offenders and endangering our citizens,” Berger said.
Hall described the releases as a “serious miscarriage of justice” that endangered public safety.
Committee Mirrors Senate Campaign Attacks
The committee’s mandate aligns closely with frequent criticisms leveled by Republican U.S. Senate nominee Michael Whatley, who has repeatedly blamed Cooper for the prisoner releases and broader crime issues throughout the state during his campaign.
The investigation will extend beyond the 2021 settlement to review North Carolina’s prison system and other criminal justice policies implemented during Cooper’s tenure as governor.
Cooper served as North Carolina’s governor and is now seeking to represent the state in the U.S. Senate. At an April 9 rally in Durham attended by several hundred supporters, Cooper told the crowd he would stand up to insurance companies and oppose the Trump administration’s tariffs if elected to the Senate.
Court-Ordered Settlement Under Scrutiny
The 2021 settlement between the Cooper administration and civil rights organizations resulted in the release of approximately 3,500 incarcerated individuals due to health risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in state prisons.
Republican leaders have inaccurately attributed sole responsibility for the releases to Cooper, despite the settlement being court-ordered following litigation by civil rights groups over pandemic conditions in state correctional facilities.
The investigation comes just months before North Carolina voters will decide between Cooper and Whatley in the U.S. Senate race, adding a politically charged element to the legislative inquiry.
