McCrory Campaign Calls On Roy Cooper To Resign As Attorney General | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Raleigh, N.C. - After Roy Cooper's office quietly filed several motions indicating his intent to defend the state over House Bill 2 then denied defending the state, the McCrory campaign called on Roy Cooper to resign:

    "First he's not defending North Carolina, then he was, now he says he's not," said Ricky Diaz, McCrory campaign spokesman. "Roy Cooper should resign immediately not only for gross incompetence, but also the serious professional and ethical conflicts of interests he has brought upon himself by siding with the Obama administration instead of defending North Carolina."

    By law, Roy Cooper is required to defend all actions in which the State is a party:

• G.S. § 114-2. Duties of the Attorney General.
• It shall be the duty of the Attorney General: (1) To defend all actions in the appellate division in which the State shall be interested, or a party, and to appear for the State in any other court or tribunal in any cause or matter, civil or criminal, in which the State may be a party or interested.

    There is precedent of North Carolina attorneys general resigning while actively running another public office that conflicts with their official duties. In 1974, Attorney General Robert Morgan (D) resigned from office to "devote full time to his campaign" amid charges of unethical conduct and shirking his official responsibilities to run for the U.S. Senate. ("Morgan Expected To Announce Resignation," The Associated Press, 6/14/1974; "Holshouser to name Carson," UPI, 6/8/1974)

• Contact: The Pat McCrory Committee
•     media@patmccrory.com