Moore County campaign ’22: The Hot Mess extends from Pinehurst to Carthage
In Pinehurst, we’ve got the city manager fighting with at least one member of the council. A current council member and former council member are lawyered up against the village. Allegations ranging from (1) violations of open meeting laws to (2) use of village government assets for political campaign purposes are swirling around.
Now, let’s move north a little and check on the Moore County Clerk of Court primary. For those who don’t know, the Clerk is headquartered at the Moore County Courthouse in Carthage.
The Republican candidates are Todd Maness of Vass and Chris Morgan of Carthage. Maness has been working for the Moore County Sheriff’s Department while Morgan has been working for the current, but retiring, Clerk of Court Susan Hicks.
On the campaign trail, Morgan often boasts about his money management skills and his experience in the Clerk’s office. Hicks has even endorsed Morgan.
A lot of money passes through the Clerk’s office. So, careful money management and detailed audits are important to us, as taxpayers. Hicks has been the Clerk since 2009. Morgan claims to have been there since 2000.
Well, we’ve found two audits from state auditor Beth Wood — from 2011 and from 2016 — indicating that the Moore County Clerk of Court’s office was reprimanded over their money management practices AT LEAST twice in five years. Basically the same concerns about the county clerk’s office were cited in both audit reports.
Well, now. Morgan has described himself as Hicks’s #2 in the office. Yet, in their time together in the courthouse, the state auditor found serious deficiencies in the office’s money management practices TWICE.
And Morgan wants us to vote FOR him because of his experience and financial management skill while serving in the clerk’s office?
(I don’t think I’d want ANYBODY to know that I had been hit with TWO negative audits in a five year span. But that’s just me.)
And let’s not forget the 2021 campaign finance report for Morgan’s campaign.
The only donors listed are Democrat lawyers. One of the Dem donors is the lawyer for the Moore County Democrat Party. (We ought to call stuff like this The Donadio Syndrome.)
Morgan is portraying himself as a good Republican trying to convince county Republicans to give him their blessing. Yet, it’s ALL Democrats coughing up the cash to his campaign.
I will not vote for anymore experts or candidates that tell me they know everything. Ask me? They’re the problem.
Voting Todd Maness for Clerk of Court.
The reason too many people in every day life wonders if they can trust politicians, I pray for honest people to be elected into all political positions in our cities, states and nation.
Todd Maness has a proven track record of integrity and honesty. Todd will always do what is correct and that is why he has my vote and enduring support.
A Clerk of Court candidate taking campaign contributions from lawyers? Something about that just doesn’t feel right.
Voting to promote someone as a reward for poor performance, and expecting them to suddenly do better, borders on insanity. That’s what Morgan is asking for as Clerk of Court. Conversely, Todd Maness has a solid track record as a law enforcement professional and is a proven asset to Moore County. I’ll be voting for him because the Clerk’s office is in need of leadership with integrity.
Let me get this right. You were a key component of an governmental agency that has failed two audits by an auditor who will investigate any agency led by individuals REGARDLESS or party affiliation. And the outgoing head of that group endorses a person directly involved in the failing of that agency! Sorry but is the Biden WH part of this Cabal!?
Vote for Todd Maness and restore integrity to the clerk’s office!