MOORESVILLE, N.C. — A bombshell federal lawsuit filed is accusing Mooresville Mayor Chris Carney of retaliation and a coordinated cover-up after a former town employee claims he reported after-hours surveillance footage allegedly showing the mayor walking around Town Hall without pants.
According to court documents filed January 12, former Town of Mooresville information technology employee Jeffrey Noble says the alleged incident occurred in October 2024, while he was performing routine job duties involving the town’s electronic security and access systems.
Noble states that he received an IT service request related to door-access permission changes, prompting him to review access logs — a standard responsibility of his position. During that review, Noble claims he noticed irregular late-night entries connected to the mayor’s access badge, including a swipe shortly after midnight at Mooresville Town Hall.
Surveillance Footage Allegedly Shows Mayor Inside Town Hall After Midnight
After identifying the unusual access activity, Noble says he reviewed the surveillance footage. According to the lawsuit, the video allegedly shows Mayor Carney entering Town Hall after hours with a woman who worked as a communications consultant for the town.
The complaint further alleges that the footage shows Carney walking through the building without pants.
Mooresville Mayor
Court filings claim that motion sensors inside the building were triggered by the after-hours movement, prompting a response from the Mooresville Police Department. However, Noble alleges that when officers arrived, the woman hid inside the mayor’s office and police never entered or inspected that office, despite searching other parts of the building.
Former IT Employee Says He Reported “Serious Public Concerns”
Noble says he immediately reported the footage and access-log findings to his supervisors within the IT department, believing the incident involved misuse of municipal property, security violations, ethical concerns, and matters of significant public interest.
Instead of launching an internal investigation, Noble claims town leadership moved to lock down access to surveillance footage, restricted who could view or discuss the video, and accused him of leaking information to the media.
The lawsuit names Mayor Chris Carney, Town Manager Tracey Jerome, and Chief Financial Officer Christopher Quinn, accusing them of retaliation and suppressing evidence rather than addressing the alleged misconduct.
Public Records Request Denied
In November 2024, a local news outlet submitted a public records request seeking the Town Hall surveillance footage. According to the lawsuit, town officials confirmed the video exists but refused to release it, citing exemptions under the North Carolina Public Records Act.
Noble alleges that the refusal to release the footage was part of a broader effort to prevent public scrutiny.
No Investigation, Extended Absence
Court documents also state that between October 17 and November 12, 2024, Mayor Carney took a multi-week absence from town duties. Despite the seriousness of the allegations, the lawsuit claims no internal investigation was ever conducted.
Noble contends that rather than address the alleged security breach and conduct inside Town Hall, town leadership focused on protecting political leadership and punishing the whistleblower.
As of publication, the Town of Mooresville has not released the surveillance footage, and none of the officials named in the lawsuit have publicly responded to the allegations.
READ LAWSUIT AGAINST MAYOR CHRIS CARNEY BELOW
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