Charlotte council meets privately with attorney to discuss internal investigation
Charlotte City Council met in private Monday to talk about an internal investigation the City Attorney’s Office is conducting and whether to hire outside help, but city leaders are keeping other details private for now.
The meeting follows a tumultuous couple of months for city government — from a “separation agreement” with the police chief to questions about unethical activity.
Last week, WFAE reported Interim City Attorney Anthony Fox planned to investigate critical comments council member Victoria Watlington made about the city’s separation agreement with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings. In a May 6 email to supporters, Watlington said she was “extremely concerned with the level of unethical, immoral, and, frankly, illegal activities occurring within City government.”
Watlington told WFAE she didn’t want Fox to lead the investigation because many of her negative comments were directed at how Fox handled the settlement.
Fox told The Observer he is continuing to look into Watlington’s statements but did not confirm whether that investigation was the subject of Monday’s meeting. He said matters discussed during the meeting were subject to attorney-client privilege and therefore shielded from public discussion.
“The investigation (into Watlington’s comments) is for purposes of completing our due diligence that we committed to undertake for bond holders,” Fox said without elaborating further.
It’s unclear how much the investigation will cost.
Watlington did not attend Monday’s meeting or respond to The Observer’s request for comment.
Charlotte pays CMPD Chief to part ways
Watlington spoke out in May after the council agreed in a closed session to pay Jennings $305,000 as part of a “separation agreement.”
The deal was reportedly to avoid a lawsuit over comments from former Council member Tariq Bokhari, who now works for the Trump administration. Bokhari wanted the city to buy new vests for police officers — an effort that intensified after an April 2024 shooting in east Charlotte that killed four law enforcement officers.
WFAE previously reported Bokhari sent Jennings text messages saying he would press for his resignation and tarnish his legacy because of the disagreement.
Shortly after the settlement, Watlington sent an email from her campaign account alleging corruption.
“I have seen enough. Over the last five and a half years, I have witnessed the brazen disregard for dissenting opinions and the rule of law. Never, however, have I seen such an egregious example as what has occurred in the last week,” the email said. “It is time for a change.”
The email didn’t specify what Watlington, an at-large Democrat, was referring to.
Her comments were poorly received by Fox, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and other council members who held a press conference the next day to address the allegations. Lyles later announced she was teaming up with council member Renee Perkins Johnson to look for ways to improve City Council performance.
This story was originally published June 30, 2025 at 5:00 PM.
