Controversy as Whatley Appoints Sex Offender to NC GOP Leadership Roles

Michael Whatley’s Controversial Appointments in the North Carolina Republican Party

Michael Whatley, who led the North Carolina Republican Party from 2019 to 2024, appointed Harvey West, a registered sex offender, to several influential positions within the party. This decision has raised concerns about West’s potential access to young adults during his tenure.

According to a report by the Asheville Watchdog, West was appointed to two key committees: the 1st Congressional District Committee and the Plan of Organization Committee.

West’s criminal history dates back to 2000, when he was 28 years old. He pleaded guilty to charges of taking indecent liberties with minors, involving two 14-year-olds and one 16-year-old. West served a six-year prison sentence and was mandated to register as a sex offender following his release.

West claims his innocence, stating that he accepted the guilty plea to avoid a potentially longer sentence. He disclosed his past offenses to the North Carolina Republican Party before his appointments, as reported by PolitiFact.

During Whatley’s leadership, West and the North Carolina Teenage Republicans both attended nearly 30 State Central Committee meetings. A photo from August 2022 on Whatley’s official Facebook page depicts West sitting next to the chair of the North Carolina Teenage Republicans.

West’s roles also enabled him to participate in events involving young people. In September 2020, he was photographed with the chairwoman of the North Carolina Young Republicans at a get-out-the-vote event. Additionally, he appeared in a photograph from the state GOP convention shared on the Inner Banks Young Republicans’ Instagram account.

West represented the party as a delegate at the 2020 and 2024 Republican National Conventions, alongside several high school students. Furthermore, in September 2019, both West and Whatley were present at a recruitment dinner for President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, which was attended by children and teenagers.

Since completing his prison sentence, West has not faced any new allegations of misconduct.

As Whatley now campaigns for a U.S. Senate seat against former Gov. Roy Cooper, the race is predicted to be one of the most competitive in 2026.