North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek released his office’s special report on the $305,000 settlement agreement between the City of Charlotte and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief of Police Johnny Jennings, which was initially kept from the public.
He announced in May that he would formally investigate the matter after a report by WBT News report that the Charlotte City Council allegedly held a closed-door vote to authorize a payment exceeding $300,000 to Jennings. This payment was reportedly intended to prevent him from filing a lawsuit against the city. The potential lawsuit stemmed from alleged reputational damage Jennings claims he suffered due to comments made by former council member Tariq Bokhari surrounding a controversy with bulletproof vests.
The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (NCOSA) said in the report that the investigation’s objectives were to determine the circumstances and sources of funding for the city’s settlement payment and to determine whether the city’s actions complied with the North Carolina Public Records Act, the North Carolina Open Meetings law, and other applicable laws.
Boliek said in a press release that his office’s investigation found that, of the total payment, $280,000 came from the city’s General Fund and $25,000 came from the Risk Management Fund. The Risk Management Fund, which is typically used to pay claims made against the city, had a total of $27.4 million in expenses for Fiscal Year 2024.