NC auditor’s office will investigate Charlotte over reported Jennings settlement
The North Carolina state auditor’s office plans to investigate the city of Charlotte over its reported settlement with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings.
State Auditor Dave Boliek announced the investigation in a letter to Mayor Vi Lyles Tuesday shared with the media by his office.
“It is my understanding there is a possibility that as much as $100,000 to $300,000 in public dollars may have been given to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief Johnny Jennings for a legal settlement that may have been entered into by the City Council. This is only what has been gathered by the Auditor’s Office from news reports, social media, and conversation,” Boliek, a Republican, said in his letter. “The truth of the matter remains unclear.”
WSOC and WFAE reported May 6 the City Council agreed in closed session to a six-figure financial settlement with Jennings. The deal reportedly prevented a lawsuit over now former-Council member Tariq Bokhari’s push to get new bulletproof vests for police officers.
The city has not publicly confirmed a settlement or how much money Jennings will receive. It hasn’t responded to several records requests from The Charlotte Observer seeking information related to the settlement. Interim City Attorney Anthony Fox told WFAE Charlotte won’t release the settlement with Jennings and claimed it wasn’t a public record.
Jennings hasn’t commented publicly on the reported settlement or conflict with Bokhari.
Fox said in a statement the city “will work with the State Auditor, while adhering to all applicable laws.”
“As previously stated, we intend to release all relevant public records allowed by law,” he said.
Boliek said his office “will be asking how much money has reportedly been paid, whether a payment exists, where did money for a payment come from, and several other pertinent questions.”
“Even if the payment was worth one penny, it should be disclosed to the public in a timely and transparent matter,” Boliek wrote. “There is no tax dollar free from public scrutiny.”
He told Lyles some pressing questions can be answered by the quick release of information by the mayor’s office and that a “list of unknowns” remains about a “potential settlement or payout to the Police Chief.”
What can state auditor do to Charlotte?
It’s not immediately clear how much authority the state auditor’s office has to investigate Charlotte or what action the office could take against the city. Boliek’s office did not immediately respond to follow-up requests from an Observer reporter Tuesday afternoon.
State law gives him a range of investigative authority over state government finances. State statute also references the potential of “an investigative audit with findings by the State Auditor” into “the governing board of a local government or public authority.”
But state legislators are considering bills that would give Boliek more power.
That includes House Bill 549, which passed the House along party lines in early May and would allow him to investigate any non-governmental organization that receives public funds, expand his office’s access to state databases and give him more control over hiring and firing employees of the auditor’s office.
Controversy related to reported Jennings settlement
Despite the dearth of information, several controversies already emerged related to Charlotte’s reported settlement.
Charlotte NAACP President Corine Mack previously confirmed to the Observer she filed an ethics complaint against Bokhari in January over Bokhari’s actions, claiming he and the FOP “began a crusade against” Jennings. WSOC reported two top Jennings aides advised her on her complaint, which Mack said was dismissed by Fox for insufficient evidence.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police, a group that’s historically been at odds with CMPD leadership, announced it would hold a vote of no confidence against Jennings after reports of the settlement emerged.
Hours after news of the settlement broke, council member Victoria Watlington sent an email to supporters saying she was “extremely concerned with the level of unethical, immoral, and frankly, illegal activities occurring within City government.” The email didn’t specify what she was referring to, and Watlington told the Observer she was concerned about “the culture of the organization and how work is done.”
Lyles and other council members held a press conference the next day, calling the claims “unfounded” and for Watlington to produce evidence to support her comments. Watlington then sent another email saying she does not have concerns about “financial or widespread corruption.”
Bokhari’s wife, Krista Bokhari, took to social media to say she had evidence of unethical and potentially illegal activity related to the settlement.
Council member Tiawana Brown said on Facebook the council needed to do a better job of handling lawsuits that could pay the chief $300,000. It was the first time a council member or city official provided a figure for the settlement and larger than Jennings’ annual salary of $280,334. But Brown later told the Observer what she posted was an estimate based on what she’s heard from others because she was absent from the closed session about a settlement.
This story was originally published May 20, 2025 at 3:36 PM.
