Cops kicked out of local restaurant; owner later apologizes

The owner of Isy Bell's restaurant has issued a Facebook apology for apparently kicking three Mooresville police detectives out of his establishment during lunch yesterday.

“I am deeply sorry for the words that I spoke,” reads a statement that Owner Mike Kabouris posted on Isy Bells' Facebook page earlier this afternoon. “I welcome all detectives and officers into my establishment. The world needs more people like you to protect our community.”

Calling the incident a “misunderstanding,” Kabouris' statement continued: “Isy Bell's Cafe welcomes all law enforcement and has the utmost respect for you.”

But apparently, officers haven't felt welcomed or respected by Kabouris for quite some time. Of yesterday's incident, Mooresville Police Chief Carl Robbins said: “I don't know the story behind his reasoning, but I have known for a long time that he does not care for us.”

While the detectives themselves aren't speaking officially about what happened, Facebook has been abuzz the past 24 hours with statuses and messages about yesterday's incident, some of them speculating that Kabouris is angry at local law-enforcement officers because of the September arrest of his son for speeding to elude arrest.

Kabouris wasn't available for comment at Isy Bell's this afternoon.

“In all fairness to him,” said Robbins, “I don't know if his displeasure is directed toward all law enforcement or just the Mooresville Police Department.”

Robbins said police officers must understand that “some people will not like us as law-enforcement officers for a variety of reasons.” However, he said, “We have to accept this and continue to treat everyone with respect and fairness.

“As a business owner, (Kabouris) can make decisions that we may not agree with, but we need to respect them and stay above the fray as professional police officers.”

Robbins said Kabouris has not called him to complain or to ban officers from Isy Bell's in general.

BREAKING: Griffith resigns

Renee Griffith has resigned from the Iredell County Board of Commissioners.

Here is a written statement from Griffith, courtesy of The Rick Baker Show:

 August 8, 2012

It is with a heavy heart that I announce my resignation from the Iredell County Board of Commissioners.  I decided the fight to stay does not outweigh the price my family, my friends, and this community would be forced to pay.  I leave this position knowing there is much work to be done in this county.  During this very difficult time the good people of this county have reached out to me with love, support, and prayers. 

The voter’s of this county are tired of politicians and political parties who rule with an air of self-righteousness.  The Iredell Republican party, in many ways, is much more corrupt and broken than the Democrat party they hate.  This has caused voters to become disenfranchised.  How unfortunate this attitude alienates many very qualified citizens from running for office.  Citizens who, if given the opportunity, could make a difference in this county, state, and country. 

I appreciate the citizens giving me the opportunity to serve them as a commissioner. 

Renee Griffith

Tice: Goal of candidacy is to 'maintain integrity' of county

Sara Tice retired from politics four years ago after a long stint as Iredell county commissioner and chairperson of the board.

But even though she stepped away from politics, politics never left her: "That old political blood is still there," Tice said today, standing in the lobby of a familiar place, the Iredell County Elections Office.

She was there this morning as election officials verified the signatures of 272 county residents on a petition to add a write-in candidate to November's ballot. Only 100 signatures were necessary.

Tice hopes to be the name people write-in on the ballot, and she has the strong backing of the county's GOP.

The petition - created just yesterday evening - had to be submitted with 100 verified signatures to the elections office today for a write-in choice to be added to the ballot. All those signatures - including all six Mooresville commissioners, the mayor and the county's register of deeds - were obtained in less than 24 hours.

Tice said the majority of the Iredell County Board of Commissioners is also "100 percent" behind her: "And that makes me feel good."

The one commissioner who likely isn't behind Tice's bid for county commission is Renee Griffith, the Republican candidate some people are hoping will be squeezed out of the election by adding Tice's well-known name to the list of Republican choices.

Three seats are up for grabs on the county's board of commissioners this fall. Those seats are being sought by Republicans Ken Robertson, Renee Griffith and David Boone - and now Tice as a write-in - and two Democrats, Karen Keaton and V. September McCrady.

The past 24 hours have no doubt felt like a whirlwind of sorts for Tice. She said she agreed to run at the urging of the county's Republican leadership after news became public this week that Griffith, also a Republican, had forged a county-inspection document for Cornerstone Christian Academy, where she is principal, before she submitted it to the state. Griffith also blamed her own actions on a "former employee" of the school, accusing that person - whether fictional or real - of pocketing the inspection fee and never lining up the inspection.

Tice said today: "The goal of my candidacy is to maintain the integrity of the Board of Commissioners and the reputation of the county's employees.

"I have been humbled and am grateful for the trust the leadership and good citizens of Iredell County have placed in me.

"It would be my honor and privilege to represent them again."

With only three months left in the campaign, Tice knows time is not necessarily on her side, and a write-in campaign, she acknowledged, "is difficult."

However, she said, "I have a lot of promises and a lot of great people have stepped in to help. I have been overwhelmed with the support and the phone calls I've received.

"After 18 years as a public servant, (once you step down), you miss it," Tice said. "I look forward to November's election."

Petition signatures verified

The Iredell County Board of Elections has verified 110 signatures so far on a petition to add a write-in candidate to November's ballot.

That means it's official: A write-in option will be printed on the ballot.

Mooresville Tribune wrote an article with a lot of valuable information about how to vote for a write-in candidate and make sure your vote is counted, if that's an option you plan to choose:

Iredell GOP scrambles for write-in option; Sara Haire Tice tabbed

All six of Mooresville's commissioners, and the mayor, have now signed the petition.

Haire Tice will be at the Iredell County Board of Elections at 11 a.m. today.

A lot of news happened yesterday. For a recap of articles posted since yesterday, here's a quick list of links:

• Apologies aren't enough: A commentary
• County commissioners call for Griffith's resignation, Mooresville officials sign petition for write-in candidate in November
• 100 signatures obtained

100 signatures obtained

At least 100 signatures have been obtained on a petition to add a write-in candidate, Sara Haire-Tice, to the November ballot for the Iredell County Board of Commissioners. The petition must be submitted to the Iredell County Board of Elections by tomorrow at noon.

County commissioners call for Griffith's resignation, Mooresville officials sign petition for write-in candidate in November

Iredell County Commissioners called for the resignation of one of their own tonight.

Commissioners voted 4-1 to ask Renee Griffith to resign from the board in light of news that she falsified a county building-inspection document for Cornerstone Christian Academy, where she is principal, and then later blamed the misdeed on a former employee. Griffith later admitted she lied about the employee, too. Click this link for more.

Griffith was the one dissenting vote tonight.

Griffith had issued a public statement yesterday, saying she has no intentions of resigning from her position on the board. She is up for re-election in November and was the second highest vote getter in the Republican primary earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Mooresville's elected officials are unified in signing a petition being circulated to add a write-in candidate to November's ballot to give voters an additional choice. That candidate? Former long-time Iredell County Commissioner Sara Haire-Tice.

Mooresville's mayor and currently five of the town's six commissioners - with the sixth not being able to be reached tonight - have signed the petition to add a write-in candidate to the ballot.

The petition, a copy of which can be viewed below, must have 100 signatures by the time it is turned into the Iredell County Board of Elections tomorrow at noon. At 8:30 p.m. tonight - only a few hours after the petition was initially launched - one person alone had collected the signatures of 66 Mooresville residents. Many more copies of the petition are in circulation tonight.

Iredell County Commissioner Ken Robertson said that tonight at the meeting of the Iredell County Board of Commissioners, Chairman Steve Johnson read a statement, calling for a vote on a non-binding resolution requesting that Griffith resign. "It's non-binding because we have no authority to remove a sitting county commissioner," Robertson said.

He said the decision to request Griffith's resignation was a result of four factors:

First, "The county deals in documents, whether that's time sheets, expense reports, permits or legal papers. In all of these, there must be integrity," he said.

Robertson said the county holds its employees to "the highest level of standards."

"If an employee is found to have engaged in a deliberate, fraudulent act to deceive for financial purposes, we fire them," Robertson said. "That's the policy of the board.

"If the board had not taken a firm stance on this, it could be argued by an attorney that if we fire somebody for fraudulently doctoring up a time sheet, for example, that employee shouldn't be punished, much less fired."

The second reason the board called for Griffith's resignation, Robertson said, is because "when rating agencies determine the interest rates on our bonds, part of what they do is look at the governing body. The e-mails between Ms. Griffith and (the state representative from the N.C. Division of Child Development and Early Education) showed (Griffith) engaged in multiple lies. And if we do nothing, it would be as if we were accommodating someone who would lie about official business."

The third factor the board had to consider is the county's economic development, Robertson said. "Companies coming from outside our region often do a fair amount of due-diligence prior to asking us for incentives, etc.," he said. "They look at the schools and the governing bodies. If they believe the governing bodies have ethical problems, they will assume there's a likelihood there will be problems when they locate here."

And lastly, Robertson said, the commissioners must consider "the institution of the board."

"We don't always vote the same, but for the most part, we all respect each other because for the most part, we think everybody is trying to do the right thing," he said. "It's hard to respect a fellow commissioner who basically lied and doctored-up a county inspection form in order to save a $120 inspection fee. What do we say, then, to the guy who wants to work on his garage but can't afford the fee?"

It is unclear at this point if Griffith committed a crime when she falsified the inspection document and turned it over to the state. 

District Attorney Sarah Kirkman said today that a law-enforcement agency would be the one to investigate that, "and that is ordinarily at my request."

She said in cases specifically of this nature, "The way it usually works is that if someone comes to me to report a crime that I think needs to be investigated, I request an investigation.

"No one has made a report to me in this case as of yet," Kirkman said, "but that would not necessarily preclude me from making the request." 

Apologies aren't enough: A Commentary

I can't count the number of times I have told public officials over the years that the best way to avoid a major scandal in the press is to step in front of the issue, admit to making a bad decision and apologize.

That's exactly what Iredell County Commissioner Renee Griffith did this week.

So why am I finding it difficult to drum-up compassion for the embattled commissioner?

Perhaps it's because at some point in time, when a person has made repeated slip-ups, their actions begin to seem less like mistakes and more like a pattern of behavior.

I remember when the editor of a local newspaper called me last year and asked if I would report on Griffith facing foreclosure of her home. Though I understood why it was relevant – after all, most would wonder if a person can't successfully manage his or her own personal finances, how can s/he be expected to successfully manage the county's multi-million-dollar budget? – but having never been blessed with a silver spoon in my mouth – or never having been able to figure out how hard work, alone, can make one wealthy – I could not bring myself to write the story.

That's all to say that I felt last year it wasn't my place to look at another human being and criticize her personal life and choices – even though she is a commissioner. I don't know Commissioner Griffith's personal battles and struggles. Having a home in foreclosure is frightening, and it isn't always the result of improper planning or even careless budgeting. Sometimes life happens, and oftentimes, it isn't fair.

Still, in December 2011, Mooresville Weekly reported on court documents showing that Griffith and her husband were being accused of missing 14 payments just before Griffith started her two-year term on the Iredell County Board of Commissioners in December 2010. “SunTrust Bank sent the Griffiths a notice Nov. 16, 2010, informing them that they were $14,378.58 behind in payments on their 20-year home loan of $101,600,” reported the Weekly. “They’ll have a foreclosure hearing later this month.”

Griffith told the newspaper that her husband's hunting business had suffered because of the economy, and she said that as part of a loan-modification agreement, she and her husband had been advised not to make their mortgage payments, which is why they “missed” 14 payments.

The article was published, people drew their own conclusions – many, no doubt, feeling a great deal of compassion for the commissioner as her personal life was broadcast in a public forum – and life went on.

Now, not quite a year later, Griffith has found herself embroiled in yet another controversy. And after appearing remorseful and apologetic yesterday in a call into The Rick Baker Show, it appeared – based on about half the calls that were made into the show after Griffith hung up – that once again, the Tea Party-branded county commissioner has converted some of the anger and bitterness toward her into syrupy-sweet sympathy.

But this time, I say: Not so fast.

Just three months from an election in which Griffith is a frontrunner for re-election, the commissioner admitted that she falsified documents about a building inspection for Cornerstone Christian Academy (CCA), where she is principal. Griffith altered the documents, which were later submitted to the N.C. Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), to indicate an inspection of CCA's building had been performed much more recently than it actually took place.

But Griffith took it a step further than just falsifying documents. After DCDEE caught her red-handed for changing the date on the inspection forms, Griffith concocted a story that a former CCA employee dropped the ball on setting up the inspection and instead pocketed the $128.75 in petty-cash earmarked to pay for it. Griffith went so far as to tell DCDEE that CCA would be "calling (the employee) in and pressing charges."

Griffith later admitted to the R&L that the entire story about the other employee was yet another lie.

No one yet knows for sure whether Griffith had the intention to create a fictional name, or – worse – if she used a real person's name and went so far as to accuse that person of being a thief. The Report sent an email to Griffith this afternoon asking her to clarify that, but I haven't heard back from her yet.

It is also bothersome that, ironically, at the same time Griffith's school was under investigation by the state for her decision to illegally forge documents – but before the controversy went public – Griffith took it upon herself, on The Rick Baker Show, to point fingers at the Iredell-Statesville Schools for its own brewing scandal about – you guessed it – forged documents.

Did Griffith, on that show, divulge her clear conflict of interest on all matters relating to document forgery? No. In fact – contrary to the statements of those who are praising Griffith for “coming forward” and “being honest” – it is very likely that she would have never acknowledged or confessed her own misdeeds had it not been for an anonymous e-mail sent late last week to the press, including the Report, that exposed Griffith’s flagrant misconduct.

Griffith has stated that the reason she did not have her most recent building inspection completed and instead decided to write through the date of an old inspection is because she was busy selling fireworks at the time and could not afford the inspection. I have received an overwhelming number of phone calls and e-mails this week – similar to one of the many calls into Rick Baker's show yesterday – from people asking how, if Commissioner Griffith couldn't afford a building inspection, she is driving around in a Mercedes, apparently with a 30-day tag.

I don't know the answer to that question, or even if most would consider it "fair."

I do know a question is arising about why Griffith apparently did not report a campaign contribution from Lake Norman Republican Women in her 2010 bid for office. According to state election records, the political group donated $50 to Griffith's campaign in October 2010. But Griffith did not record that donation in any of her quarterly filings.

I also have reason to believe that Griffith may be using her personal e-mail address – the one she once used for county business – to circumvent the N.C. Public Records Law.

Until recently, all county commissioners – including Griffith – listed their personal e-mail addresses as contact information on the county webpage. After a citizen pointed out that the commissioners should be more transparent and use a county e-mail address, Griffith – to her credit – changed her e-mail to a county address.

The Report was unaware of the change earlier this year when sending questions to the commissioners about a sexual-harassment lawsuit filed against an Iredell County sheriff's deputy.

I sent the email to reneegriffith@hotmail.com – the same address once listed on the county webpage and the one used by Griffith as recently as last month to correspond with DCDEE.

After a brief e-mail exchange, Griffith asked the Report not to misrepresent her statements as the combined statement of the entire board, and I agreed, stating, “When I write an article about this, I will absolutely attribute your comments to you.”

Griffith replied to that, providing answers to additional questions I had asked of her, but also stating: “I do not want any of my comments to you to be part of an article … ”

I reminded Griffith that I had identified myself as a blogger and listed my blog address in the original email of questions, Journalism Ethics 101. I also reminded Griffith that our e-mail exchange was/is a public record. And I told her I would not agree to keep her comments confidential in the event they would become relevant for an article.

I was floored by Griffith's response: “This is my private email account. I have a public email through the county. I would appreciate you respecting the privacy of my private email. You can email the same questions to me through the county email. IT is listed on the county webpage.”

Griffith's response made clear that she believes e-mailed conversations through her “private email” - even if those conversations are about county business – are “private,” and that only conversations she holds via her public account are public record. She could not be more wrong. And she should know better.

Several supporters of Griffith called in to The Rick Baker Show yesterday and cited Matthew 7:3 from the Holy Bible, which reads: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” They also cited John 8:7: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone ...”

Judging Griffith's personal life is not my job. But learning about someone's character by watching their behavior is not “judging.” And what's more, it is time we stop using something as sacred as Christianity to give a free pass to our elected leaders for unacceptable behavior, regardless of whether they are Republicans or Democrats.

Some callers yesterday also gave Griffith a free pass by saying if other “corrupt” government officials can stay in their positions, Griffith should be able to as well.

It is also time, as another caller suggested, that we stop justifying and excusing one elected official's bad behavior by pointing out examples of other officials' bad behavior.

It is not our place to judge others, but it is absolutely our right – indeed, it is our duty – to fully scrutinize whether an elected official has the capacity, the decency, the transparency, the honesty and the integrity to honorably carry out the business of our towns/cities, counties, states and nation.

Elected leaders – in their political and personal lives – are held to a higher standard than private citizens. If they are unwilling to accept this higher standard, they must be willing to step down from the positions entrusted to them by their constituents. And if they refuse to step down – as Commissioner Griffith has – then they should be fully prepared to deal with the political ramifications of that choice.

Griffith will not resign and will remain on November ballot

This just in from The Rick Baker Show's Facebook status:


Commissioner Will Not Resign, Will Finish Out Term

"After much thought, deliberation and with the support of my family I have decided to complete my term on the board of commissioners. I will remain on the ticken in November and allow the voters who placed me in office to decide if I remain in office. Removing my name from the ballet would take the control of the decision from the citizens of this county and place it in the hands of a select few. 

"It would be much easier to walk away but the right thing to do is to face the voters. A leader doesn’t take the easiest path. A leader faces their critics. A leader admits when they are wrong and takes steps to correct it. It will be a challenge to restore public confidence but I will work hard to do so.

"I will stand for the people who elected me and not turn and hid even if it means I stand alone.”

Renee Griffith, Monday 8:30pm, August 6, 2012.

Will Griffith resign?

Renee Griffith tells The Rick Baker Show that she will decide by this evening if she will resign from the Iredell County Board of Commissioners.

Commissioner Griffith to be guest on Rick Baker Show today

Posted on The Rick Baker Show's website:

Commissioner Renee Griffith will make a special appearance on The Rick Baker Show, Monday, August 6, to tell in her own words what happened with the falsifying of documents. Listen and then call in and give your opinion of whether or not she should resign.

Stop reading the newspaper, or listening to others opine on Commissioner Griffith’s future.  Hear her own words.

Monday, 3p-6p.

Commissioner Renee Griffith admits to falsifying documents

Click here to read the full story from the Statesville Record & Landmark.

Iredell sheriff, deputy respond to lawsuit

Iredell County Sheriff Phil Redmond and Deputy Ben Jenkins are denying all accusations that Suzanne Wick and Lisa Mangiardi leveled against them earlier this year in a sexual-harassment lawsuit.

The two mens' response, filed in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, requests that the case be dismissed based on a lack of information.

Wick and Mangiardi, both who turned to the Iredell County Sheriff's Office for help when they found themselves in abusive relationships at home, say Jenkins - a detective at the time - sexually harassed and stalked them at a time when they needed police protection the most. The two women are suing Redmond for neglecting to act on information in Wick's formal complaint about Jenkins' misconduct. Redmond demoted Jenkins to jailer after Wick complained, but Jenkins is now a road patrolman and remains on active duty at the Iredell County Sheriff's Office.

For more information on Redmond and Jenkins' response, visit www.wbtv.com or www.statesville.com.

WSOC: Sheriff isn't available for comment

Click here to watch Channel 9's evening broadcast.

WSOC to confront Iredell's sheriff

WSOC-TV Channel 9 says it has asked the Iredell County Sheriff's Office why Deputy Ben Jenkins is still on active duty, despite a second woman now accusing him of sexual harassment. The news station says it will broadcast the story at noon and on its afternoon broadcasts, beginning at 5 p.m.

Updated after the noon broadcast: According to WSOC Channel 9, the Iredell County Sheriff's Office says "the lawsuit is in their attorney's hands." Of the ICSO, the news reporter said, "they refuse to comment." Click here to watch the noon broadcast.

Second woman comes forward, accuses deputy of sexual harassment

WARNING: Please be advised that the article below contains disturbing and explicit language, much of it sexual in nature. While most of the mainstream media will likely not report on the explicits once they hear about today's filing, I feel it is important to relay the full and uncensored – albeit disturbing – details of this story.


Another victim of domestic assault is accusing Iredell County Sheriff's Deputy Ben Jenkins of sexually harassing and stalking her at a time when she needed law-enforcement protection the most.

Lisa Mangiardi - an Asheville resident and former criminal court mediator at the Iredell County Courthouse - added her name to a sexual-harassment lawsuit originally filed March 21 by Kannapolis resident Suzanne Wick. The updated lawsuit, which lists both Jenkins and Sheriff Phil Redmond as defendants, was filed late this afternoon in Iredell County Superior Court by Charlotte Attorney Joshua Van Kampen.

Mangiardi came forward after hearing of Wick's lawsuit against Jenkins and Redmond. “Lisa has been filled with misplaced guilt that Defendant Jenkins might not have been in a position to abuse Suzanne had Lisa complained earlier,” states the suit.

Wick and Mangiardi are seeking more than $10,000 in damages. 

Mangiardi, who has a masters degree in education, was hired as a part-time criminal court mediator at the Iredell County courthouse in or around September 2007. She started working full-time about a year later.

“Tellingly, it was not until Defendant Jenkins learned that Lisa was a domestic violence victim that he started to stalk and sexually harass her,” the suit reads. “She had worked in the courthouse for months before filing domestic violence charges and Defendant Jenkins had not pursued her.

“Sadly, based on Lisa and Suzanne's experiences, defendant Jenkins deliberately targets domestic violence victims because they are desperate and more vulnerable to abuse.”

Mangiardi says she turned to the Iredell County Sheriff's Office because her ex-husband was physically abusive toward her and their two children. On May 28, 2008, things turned especially violent when he “went on a rant while walking around with a knife in his back pocket,” the suit reads.

It says Mangiardi's ex-husband “threatened that he would make Lisa suffer long, painfully and slowly and that he would … end it for everyone.” Later that day, Mangiardi's ex-husband – still with the knife in his pocket – said “if he was going to pay then everyone would pay,” the lawsuit reads.

The following day, Mangiardi sought help from the Iredell County Sheriff's Office's Special Victims Unit; Detective Ernie Line – who, according to the lawsuit, was Jenkins' partner at the time – was assigned to the case.

A temporary restraining order (TRO) was issued against Mangiardi's ex-husband on May 29, 2008, and he was arrested on charges of assault on a female and communicating threats. “On June 8, 2008, the Court entered a Memorandum of Judgment," the suit states.

It says it was at that time that Mangiardi officially met Jenkins: “It appeared to Lisa at first that Defendant Jenkins was genuinely offering his support and assistance, and she needed that."


But things changed on or about June 14, 2008, when Mangiardi's ex-husband unexpectedly showed up at her house. Mangiardi believed the visit was in violation of the protective order, the suit states, and she was "confused about whether the TRO was still in place and the extent of protection from contact she had under the Memorandum of Judgment.”

At that time, according to the lawsuit, Jenkins told Mangiardi that “she should call him personally if the ex-husband came to the house again.

“He also encouraged her to meet him at the Sheriff's Domestic Violence Unit so that he could review the Memorandum of Judgment and see what he could do to help her.”

Mangiardi met with Jenkins at the sheriff's office, as the then-detective requested. It was after 5 p.m., so the sheriff's office was “relatively empty,” the suit reads.

“Defendant Jenkins escorted Lisa to an office and closed both doors, which left both of them alone. After closing the doors, Jenkins began grinding his hips and telling her, 'don't you want this,'” the suit states. “Lisa was shocked, but firmly told Defendant Jenkins that she was not interested.

“Jenkins sat down at his desk and continued gyrating in his seat, while trying to persuade Lisa to have sex with him and that no one would have to know,” the suit continues. “At one point, Jenkins also grabbed his penis and shook it, again suggesting that Lisa 'wanted this.'

Deputy Ben Jenkins

“With the doors closed, and Defendant Jenkins' status in the Domestic Violence Unit, not to mention the gun on his hip, Lisa did not feel free to go until Defendant Jenkins dismissed her,” the suit reads.

Mangiardi, like Wick, says Jenkins also stalked her: “He often reported knowing her location or inquired why she was here or there. He told her that he had been outside her house,” the lawsuit states. “Defendent Jenkins also acted very jealous and angrily accused Lisa of 'fucking' other men.”

While Mangiardi was working at the courthouse, she would routinely see Jenkins there. “During these times … Jenkins routinely simulated oral sex in Lisa's direction by pressing his tongue to his cheek and using his hand to simulate a penis entering his mouth,” the suit reads. “While doing the gesture, he would solicit Lisa for sex.

“On many other occasions, he put two fingers in a 'V' shape to his mouth and flickered his tongue simulating oral sex on a woman, while again soliciting her for sex,” it continues. “On at least one occasion in the courthouse, Defendant Jenkins also grabbed his penis and shook it, while coaxing Lisa about 'how badly she knew she wanted it'.”

The suit says Jenkins – through May 2009 – made unwelcome comments to Mangiardi, such as, “can I put my hands up your skirt?,” “just let me get a feel,” “give me a piece of that ass,” “everyone needs a friend with benefits,” “you're making me so horny,” and “I know you want it; come on, no one will ever know.”

The suit states that “several other sexual harassment incidents occurred at a Mexican restaurant near the courthouse.” There, Jenkins – often accompanied by Ernie Line - “would invite themselves to the table where Lisa was eating," the suit states. 

Jenkins would “relentlessly (tell) Lisa all the reasons why she should have sex with him. On several occasions, he also pressed his body against hers in the booth or table," it reads.

“Lisa eventually stopped eating there to avoid Defendant Jenkins.”

The lawsuit says the incidents also occurred outside the courthouse and around neighboring buildings: “On or about May 11 or 12, 2009, Defendant Jenkins gave Lisa a 'hug' for Mother's Day in an area outside the courthouse that included slipping his hands down the backside of Lisa's skirt.”

Also that month, Mangiardi says Jenkins saw her in a conference room at the Iredell County Jail while she was there for a mediation. “He stopped in the doorway and grabbed his penis and motioned with his other hand that she should call him,” the suit states.

During the time of the alleged harassment, Mangiardi “suffered extreme anxiety and depression and was diagnosed with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)," according to the lawsuit.

“As a single mother of four and already deathly afraid of her ex-husband, Lisa feared she could not afford the risk of reporting Defendant Jenkins,” the suit states. “Instead, she put her head down and suffered through, so she could support her family and be safe.”

But once Mangiardi read of Wick's lawsuit, she decided to come forward. The lawsuit says that Mangiardi felt guilty about what happened to Wick because she feels she could have possibly prevented it from happening if she had complained earlier. “In reality,” states the suit, “given Defendant Redmond's woeful track record of holding his deputies accountable, it's at least as likely that Defendant Redmond would not have taken effective remedial action even had she complained.”

Iredell County Sheriff Phil Redmond

Jenkins' alleged harassment of Mangiardi ended in May 2009. Interestingly, Suzanne Wick says he began harassing her in February or March of that same year.

Jenkins, 45, began working for the sheriff's office in August 2002 and was demoted from his position as detective in 2009 after Wick complained of his sexual advances.


Redmond is named in the women's lawsuit for neglecting to act on Wick's information and complaints against Jenkins.

One week after Redmond was most recently re-elected as Iredell County's sheriff, Jenkins began being promoted, from jailer back to deputy sheriff in November 2010. He was promoted back to detective on Nov. 7, 2011. But just two weeks after he was promoted, on Nov. 23, 2011, he was demoted back to deputy sheriff.

He is currently a road patrolman, making $38,972.04 a year.

Senate race heats up as MI Connection takes center stage

If the government owns the media, how does it stay neutral when it comes to political advertisements?

That was one of many concerns raised in 2006 when the towns of Mooresville and Davidson were considering the purchase of the bankrupt Adelphia cable television system.

And the issue reared its head this week when Karen Ray – seeking the 44th District N.C. Senate seat – suggested in a news release that the towns' $92.5 million cable company, now MI Connection, and its marketing partner, ViaMedia, refused to run her campaign ad because it is critical of her opponent, Chris Carney, who voted to purchase the cable system as a Mooresville commissioner in 2007.

The ad, called “Just Like Obama,” criticizes Carney for favoring big business and government bailouts.

“MI Connection, through its partner ViaMedia, had been airing a Karen Ray ad titled 'Fighter' for the past three weeks without issue,” Ray's release stated. “As of midnight Thursday, MI-Connection stopped airing all advertisements bought and paid for by the Ray campaign.The cable company ignored repeated demands on Friday to air the ad.”

“This is America,” said Ray, who also threatened legal action against MI Connection. “Candidates have the right to take issue with their opponents’ actions. MI Connection’s censorship of my campaign is a very serious matter. They are only in business because of taxpayers’ money, and now they are violating my First Amendment Rights because they don’t agree with me.”

MI Connection CEO David Auger said it isn't political. It's simply a matter of company policy:

“ViaMedia, the agency that handles advertising sales for MI Connection, had been running a political ad placed by Ms. Ray for at least a couple of weeks,” he said. “Late last week, she submitted a new copy to replace the old ad. The ad was forwarded by ViaMedia to their legal and management team for review.”

All “spots” - political or not – are reviewed in ViaMedia's corporate office prior to airing, said Auger. Political ads in particular, he said, are “flagged” if they are slanderous/libelous or inaccurate. Ray's ad is inaccurate because it says the cable system cost the towns $96 million instead of $92.5 million, said Auger.

“If a political advertisement falls into one of these two categories, it is forwarded to corporate (ViaMedia) legal counsel,” he added. “If legal deems the ad inappropriate, the CEO of MI Connection (or the equivalent in the other operations that they represent) is contacted and reviews the ad. At that point, a decision is reached and the candidate placing the ad is contacted.

“This policy is similar to the policies I've had in place at the media properties I've managed previously (cable systems and a newspaper),” Auger said.

He said as of close of business on Friday, Ray's ad was still being reviewed by legal counsel.

While ViaMedia was reviewing the ad, Auger said the company “offered to run the old ad.” However, he said, Ray's campaign replied “'absolutely not'.”

“I became aware of the situation Monday, April 23 at 9:24 a.m. when one of the newspapers forwarded to me a copy of Ms. Ray's press release,” Auger said. “I reviewed the ad, noted the inaccuracies, and ordered it to be aired.”

The ad started airing Monday.

Auger said he called Ray and left her a voicemail on Monday morning. But “as of 3:27 p.m. April 24, she has not returned my call,” he said.

Ray, in her news release, also states that she was troubled by an e-mail forwarded by ViaMedia to her campaign that calls Carney “an executive with MI-Connection.”

“We were unaware of his position, given that Chris has not disclosed his association with the State Ethics Commission,” Ray said. “I have instructed my elections law attorney to begin preparing the necessary documentation for a formal complaint to be filed with that board.”

Carney was quick to point out that the assertion is untrue: “I can't help what a third-party puts in e-mails,” he said. “But Ms. Ray's campaign could have simply considered its source and performed a quick fact-check that would have revealed I am not on MI Connection's payroll, nor have I ever been an executive of the company or been involved in any of its decision-making.”

Instead, he said, “Ms. Ray and her campaign were content to take an unfounded and untrue statement by an uninformed third party and send it, as it was truth, to every news outlet in this area.”

“I think Ms. Ray's actions speak for themselves, and voters are smart enough to see that if a candidate is willing to be so careless as to take something someone says as truth without first checking her facts, we don't want her making laws for us in Raleigh.”

While ViaMedia representatives did not respond to Report e-mails this week, asking why they would call Carney an executive with MI-Connection, David Auger said, “Chris Carney is not an employee or executive of MI Connection, and he has never been on the MI Connection payroll.”

Carney is currently serving as senator after being appointed in December to fulfill the term of the late Jim Forrester. He, Ray and David Curtis – all Republicans – will face off in the May 8 primary. The top vote getter will then face a Democratic challenger in November.

The Report is now on Facebook

In case you missed it, the Report is now on Facebook!

If you are not signed up on Facebook, no worries - articles will continue to be posted here. We anticipate the Report's Facebook page will be simply an extension of what is posted here, including a "clearinghouse" of sorts for local and regional news links and, of course, a place to discuss issues that matter to Iredell County residents.

If you are on Facebook, we invite you to join our page and contribute to upcoming discussions by clicking here.

See you there!

Welcome home, hero.

With big escort, wounded Marine is coming home

By: JESSICA OSBORNE | Mooresville Tribune 

Published: April 17, 2012

Garrett Carnes is coming home.

More than 200 Patriot Guard motorcycle riders from North Carolina and Virginia are expected to escort the wounded Marine Corps corporal from Bethesda, Md. to Mooresville on Friday, as he comes home for the first time since being seriously injured in Afghanistan.

After his arrival downtown at the Charles Mack Citizen Center, estimated at about 6 p.m., there will be a welcoming ceremony and remarks by local dignitaries.

Carnes, a 2008 graduate of Mooresville High School, lost parts of both of his legs to an IED explosion during a military clean-up operation in Afghanistan in February. 

To read the rest of this article - including the town's plans to welcome Carnes home on Friday - click here: Mooresville Tribune.

Sheriff's office politics protect a select few

Are the rules the same for all employees of Iredell County Sheriff Phil Redmond?

It is becoming increasingly clear that the answer to that question is no.

Deputy Ben Jenkins, as of this week, is still actively employed by the Iredell County Sheriff's Office, despite being sued on March 21 by a Kannapolis woman for sexual harassment and stalking.

Suzanne Wick, who had turned to the sheriff's office for help and protection against a physically abusive husband, states in her lawsuit that Jenkins – a detective in the sheriff's Domestic Violence Unit at that time – sexually harassed her, stalked her and threatened to drop charges against her abusive husband if she did not respond to Jenkins' sexual advances. Read the entire story here.

But in 2010, the sheriff fired and charged one of his own deputies the very night the deputy's girlfriend accused him of abusing her while he was off-duty at home. The deputy, Dennis Huffstickler, was later cleared by the courts of any wrongdoing.

Huffstickler said the top brass at the sheriff's office indicated he was being fired because the incident took place during an election year, in 2010. Not only did Huffstickler lose his job, he spent 48 hours in an isolation jail cell in another county. He also lost his law enforcement certification when the sheriff decided not to hold it for him – even after he was found not-guilty – which means he cannot practice law enforcement until he completes Basic Law Enforcement Training again.

Huffstickler said he would find out, by the time the 2010 election was over, just how political his firing really was.

It was Jan. 16, 2010 – just a few months shy of the primary to elect the Republican candidate for Iredell County's sheriff. Phil Redmond was running for his fourth term.

In a handwritten statement provided to the Report, Huffstickler said he and his girlfriend were arguing at his home, and he was trying to remove their son from the volatile situation. “She had been drinking,” Huffstickler recalled. “We were going to go away until she was sober.”

But when he took their son to the car, Huffstickler said his girlfriend hit him on the head with a video camera, took their son out of his car seat and locked herself in the bathroom at Huffstickler's home. He said at that point, his girlfriend called 911 and started kicking the door to make noise. “I heard her tell the operator she needed help,” Huffstickler said. “She told them I was trying to kill her and her baby.”

After an argument earlier that month, Huffstickler said he approached a lieutenant at the sheriff's office and confided in him about the situation: “I wanted to have (my girlfriend) removed from my home without getting law enforcement involved,” Huffstickler said. “I did not want to do anything to embarrass the sheriff's office.”

Huffstickler called that lieutenant while his girlfriend was on the phone with 911. “He told me to go outside and wait for the sheriff's office,” Huffstickler recalled. “I went outside and waited. I never put a hand on her.”

Huffstickler said that Deputy Gene Hayes, Lt. Mike Bova and Sgt. Atley Brown arrived at his home. “There may have been others,” he said. “Bova told my mother that nobody was going to be arrested that night.”

Huffstickler said Bova told him that “all of us were going to the sheriff's office and we were going to talk with Chief (Rick) Dowdle and Capt. Harold Miller.”

He said neither he nor his girlfriend were handcuffed while they were transported to the sheriff's office in separate cars. Huffstickler said he rode in the front passenger's seat of Sgt. Brown's vehicle.

“When we got to the sheriff's office, we were placed in interview rooms alone,” Huffstickler recalled. He said he completed a statement and gave it to Hayes.

Huffstickler said that about 45 minutes later, Deputy Hayes informed him that his girlfriend had been charged after blowing a .16 on an intoxilyzer test.

“Gene Hayes walked me over to Capt. Miller's office,” Huffstickler recalled. “When I walked in the room, Capt. Miller said, 'I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Your services are no longer needed at the sheriff's office.” Huffstickler said at least two other sheriff's office employees were present in the room.

Huffstickler said he asked Miller if he was interested in his side of the story. “Capt. Miller said, 'I will put it to you like this: it is an election year,'” Huffstickler recalled.

Miller retired from the sheriff's office just two weeks ago.

After Miller told Huffstickler he was fired, he also informed him that he was being charged. “Capt. Miller told me I was being escorted to Davie County Correction Center and that I was being charged with assault on a female,” Huffstickler said.

“I thanked Capt. Miller for the opportunity to work there. I kept thinking to myself that they would find out the truth. I thought I would be back at work when they did.

“I went to Davie County and was placed in an isolation cell,” Huffstickler said. “I was there 48 hours.”

He said Iredell County Lt. Guy Jenkins picked him up from Davie County and transported him back to the magistrate's office in Statesville.

Huffstickler later obtained a protective order against his girlfriend.

“I called the sheriff's office numerous times,” he said. During one of those calls, he said he told Capt. Darren Campbell to interview his girlfriend and that she would confess that Huffstickler did not assault her.

“Nobody ever did anything,” Huffstickler said.

Still, the State Bureau of Investigation was called in: “I was contacted by an agent named Renee,” Huffstickler said. “She asked if I would agree to an interview. I told her yes. Renee and another agent met me at my house, and I completed a one-hour interview with them.

“Several months later, my case went to court in front of Judge Debra Brown,” Huffstickler recalled. “The court found me to be not guilty.”

Feeling that he had been betrayed by the Iredell County Sheriff's Office, Huffstickler said he had no interest in working for Redmond again. However, he hoped the sheriff would agree to hold his certification so he could find a job in law enforcement somewhere else.

For law-enforcement officers to be hired, their certification must be held by an approved agency. If within one year the officers do not find an agency willing to hold their certifications, they have to start over with Basic Law Enforcement Training if they decide to enter the law-enforcement profession again.

Shortly after Huffstickler was cleared by the court, the former deputy ran into the sheriff at a grocery store. “He was at Food Lion on Wilkesboro Highway,” Huffstickler recalled. “I asked the sheriff if he would be willing to hold my certification since I was found not guilty.

“He said yes and told me to contact Capt. Marty Byers.” Byers, at that time, supervised personnel at the sheriff's office.

By this time, Redmond had won the county's Republican primary and was facing a Democratic challenger in the November 2010 general election.

Huffstickler said before he was able to reach Byers – and a couple days after the grocery-store encounter with Redmond – Capt. Darren Campbell and Lt. Andy Poteat visited him at his home. “It was about 4 or 5 p.m.; they were riding in a pick-up truck,” Huffstickler recalled. “Darren told me the sheriff had said what a good officer I was and how much they needed me. Darren asked me when I wanted to come back to work.

“I told him I could not work for a man that treated me the way (Redmond) did,” Huffstickler recalled.

“Darren said there was nothing they could have done because the SBI had gotten involved.”

Huffstickler said he reiterated to Campbell that he had no interest in returning to the Iredell County Sheriff's Office. “I said I only wanted my certification held,” he recalled.

Huffstickler could not have anticipated what came next: “Darren asked if I wanted a 'Re-elect Phil Redmond' sign in my yard,” Huffstickler recalled. “He had a sign in his truck.”

Huffstickler declined: “I told him to hang on to the sign.”

It appears that decision sealed Huffstickler's fate: “When I finally spoke with Marty Byers, he told me Sheriff Redmond had told him he did not intend to hold my certification.”

Soon thereafter, a comment appeared in The Gatton Report, detailing Huffstickler's visit from Campbell and Poteat. “I was still wanting my certification held because it was about to run out, so I called Darren Campbell,” Huffstickler recalled in his statement provided to the Report. “Darren said he did not want to talk to me. He accused me of talking to Jaime Gatton. He asked me who I had talked to and told about the visit he made.

“I told him I had confided in a friend,” Huffstickler said. “He asked who it was, but I would not tell him.

“Darren said if I scratched his back, he would scratch mine. He said he would talk to the sheriff and told me to think about it,” Huffsticker said. “I never heard anything from him.

“My certification ran out on Jan. 16, 2011.”

Huffstickler said while the sheriff's office fought his unemployment-benefits claim, the Employment Security Commission sided with the fired deputy and awarded him unemployment benefits.

Campbell has not responded to a Report e-mail this week, asking to clarify his back-scratching statement and if his visit to Huffstickler's home with Redmond's campaign sign was a “quid pro quo.”

Redmond also did not respond to a Report e-mail, asking if he decided not to hold Huffstickler's certification as a result of Huffstickler refusing to support the sheriff's reelection bid by placing a campaign sign in his yard. The Report also asked the sheriff how he justifies retaining some accused employees but firing others. He did not respond.

The stories of Huffstickler and Jenkins are parallel in some ways and vastly different in others. Let's review:

Huffstickler was off-duty when his girlfriend accused him of assaulting her. Jenkins is being sued for sexually harassing a woman in his capacity as a detective with the Iredell County Sheriff's Office's Domestic Violence Unit.

The SBI was called in to investigate Huffstickler. To date, it appears no one has asked the SBI to investigate the potentially criminal allegations made in the lawsuit against Jenkins.

Huffstickler was cleared of wrongdoing by the courts after his girlfriend admitted she had made up the allegations against him. The jury is still out on Jenkins. Wick's attorney, Joshua Van Kampen of Charlotte, filed the lawsuit against Jenkins and Sheriff Phil Redmond – stating Redmond neglected to act on Wick's complaints of sexual harassment – on March 21. The sheriff's office has 30 days from the date of that filing to respond.

Huffstickler's incident took place during an election year. Jenkins was sued while Redmond still has two years left in his term.

Huffstickler lost his job immediately. The sheriff's office charged him with assault and took him to a Davie County jail cell where he was locked up for 48 hours in isolation. The sheriff also refused to hold Huffstickler's certification, even after the former deputy was proven innocent of the charges against him.

Jenkins, on the other hand, is still actively employed at the sheriff's office, and “nothing has been received in HR advising us he has been suspended,” Iredell County Human Resources Director Sandra Gregory said this week, responding to Report questions.


According to his public personnel information, Jenkins was demoted from detective to jailer shortly after Wick says she complained to the sheriff's office about Jenkins' misconduct in 2009. Interestingly, however, just eight days after Redmond secured his November 2010 re-election, he began promoting Jenkins, from jailer to deputy sheriff, then one year later, from deputy to detective. But after just two weeks back as a detective in November 2011, Jenkins was demoted once again to deputy sheriff.

So, what gives? Why are the “rules” bent for some and strictly enforced on others? And what exactly are the rules? Are the sheriff's standards determined by election cycles?

Why was Huffstickler fired because of an accusation but Jenkins remains actively employed? Why is another deputy, Tommy Adams, still employed by the sheriff's office – albeit on unpaid leave – following a grand-jury indictment of obstruction of justice in December 2010?

Why did the sheriff's office leave Huffstickler locked up in a jail cell for 48 hours but continued to pay Adams' public cell phone for four months after he was indicted and then suspended from the sheriff's office?

And perhaps most important: What kind of environment does Sheriff Phil Redmond's selective leniency create for the other deputies currently working for him? What kind of message does this send to them?