Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, a Democrat, is facing extensive misconduct allegations detailed in a petition filed in Mecklenburg Superior Court that seeks his removal from office. North Carolina law allows for the removal of certain elected officials for willful misconduct, corruption, extortion, or maladministration. McFadden has served as sheriff of Mecklenburg County, which includes the city of Charlotte, since 2018.
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The removal petition was filed by five county electors, including Democratic state Rep. Carla Cunningham, and was joined by four former employees of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, among them former Chief Deputy Kevin Canty. The filing alleges a pattern of corruption and abuse of power, describing McFadden’s conduct as “mafia-style” and accusing him of intimidation, retaliation, and misuse of public resources.
One of the central allegations involves a July 2025 phone call between McFadden and Rep. Cunningham regarding House Bill 318, legislation that would require local sheriffs to cooperate with ICE detainers. According to the petition, McFadden pressured Cunningham to oppose the bill and warned that people in her district would “come after” her if she supported it, adding that he did not want to see her “get hurt” since she lived in his county. The petition characterizes the remarks as an implied threat.
Mecklenburg County Sheriff Gary McFadden
The filing also accuses McFadden of misusing sheriff’s office resources, including directing deputies to transport National Sheriffs’ Association officials to bars and strip clubs during a Charlotte conference. Additional allegations include using departmental IT staff to work on his campaign website and improperly charging travel upgrades to office credit cards.
Further claims allege that McFadden weaponized the department’s internal affairs unit to target employees he disliked while shielding favored staff from discipline. The petition also cites alleged retaliation against whistleblowers and crime victims, lax enforcement of jail safety policies, favoritism in promotions, and directing unpaid reserve deputies to work events he attended.
The petition asks a Superior Court judge to determine whether McFadden should be removed from office, a process that requires approval from a district or county attorney and could lead to a formal hearing. In parallel, the Republican-controlled state legislature has opened its own inquiry, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is reviewing potential criminal aspects of the allegations. McFadden has denied all claims, calling the petition a politically motivated smear campaign and saying he welcomes the investigations.[/read]