State Treasurer Folwell is under investigation for alleged misuse of state vehicles

North Carolina State Treasurer Dale Folwell is under investigation for alleged misuse of state vehicles.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) began investigating the allegation in March after the state Department of Administration’s (NCDOA) Motor Fleet Management Division conducted a compliance audit of state vehicle logbooks in July, November and December 2022.

Folwell was not charged with any violation.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said they are just at the beginning of the process.

“State law requires that evidence uncovered during a routine audit that may indicate misuse of state property be reported to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation,” Freeman said in an emailed statement. “When this occurs, it is important that the SBI conduct due diligence to determine if there is indeed misuse of state funds. As is customary upon receipt of this information from any agency, the State Bureau of Investigation, at my request, conducts an investigation into the State Treasurer’s use of state vehicles.”

Freeman added that, as with all cases involving public officials, it is important that the public can have confidence that such matters will be properly investigated.

The NCDOA requested logs on seven vehicles rented to Folwell’s office. They reportedly submitted logs for all vehicles except the one driven by Folwell. They then pulled data from vehicle tracking devices that showed they were used for travel on non-state-related business.

As WRAL reported, trips were reportedly made across the state, including to the Biltmore Estate, fast-food restaurants and doctor’s offices.

In an emailed statement, Folwell said his office is cooperating with the investigation.

“We are grateful that the media has brought these details to light, as we have been asking for information and clarity for nearly a year,” Folwell said. “We have provided pages of documentation throughout this review. We look forward to continuing to work with the Department of Motor Fleet Management to satisfactorily resolve this issue. I have been the treasurer all along and have a reputation for transparency.”

He concluded by saying that he is constantly thinking about how to do things better and more efficiently in the interests of taxpayers, including using the state car.

Folwell has been in office since 2017. He ran for the Republican nomination for governor but lost in the March primary to Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson. He is not seeking re-election as treasurer.

He has long been an advocate of finding ways to save taxpayers, state health plan members and the state, most recently raising the alarm about the SHP’s desperate need for emergency funding after suffering many setbacks, including the high cost of weight-loss drugs, the General Assembly’s failure to reimburse COVID-related expenses and changes to Medicare Advantage plans.

The investigation is reminiscent of an SBI investigation into former state auditor Beth Wood.

They conducted an eight-month investigation into Woods’ use of state vehicles before and after the December 8, 2022Accident when she struck the parked car of Chris Valverde of Pinehurst near the intersection of Salisbury and Hargett Streets in downtown Raleigh.

Freeman told Wake County Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway that Wood used the vehicle for over a dozen trips to a hair salon, more than 40 shopping trips to Knightdale and over two dozen trips to spas between 2021 and 2022.

On December 15, she pleaded guilty in Wake County Superior Court to two counts of misuse of her state-owned vehicle.

Wood, a Democrat, was accused on November 7 by a Wake County grand jury.

Judge Ridgeway sentenced Wood to 12 months of unsupervised probation. The maximum sentence she could have received was 240 days in jail. As part of a plea agreement, Wood also paid $1,064 in restitution and agreed to resign from her position on December 15.

Wood, who was known as the state’s “watchdog” because of her department’s investigations into financial misconduct, also maintained good relationships across party lines.

“She was a valuable colleague and public servant,” Folwell said in a Press release in response to Wood’s initial announcement that she would not seek re-election. “She always has the interests of taxpayers at heart.”

Jessica Holmes, former chairwoman of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, took over the role of interim state auditor. Democratic Governor Roy Cooper appointed her on December 1Holmes will serve the remainder of Wood’s term, which ends Dec. 31, and will face Republican candidate Dave Boliek in the November general election.

The Carolina Journal will keep you updated on the latest developments in the Folwell investigation.