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North Carolina House Democratic leader Robert Reives shared the following statement on Friday afternoon:
I am glad that Rep. Brockman has voluntarily resigned from the General Assembly. The allegations against him are serious and made it impossible for him to adequately represent his constituents. I look forward to the Guilford County Democrats appointing his successor.
North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall issued the following statement on Friday afternoon:
Rep. Brockman’s decision to resign is the right thing to do for his constituents and for the North Carolina House of Representatives. His departure spares the House from a difficult expulsion process and brings closure to this troubling chapter.
Prior to the announcement of Brockman’s resignation, Speaker Destin Hall announced the formation of the House Select Committee to Investigate Alleged Misconduct and Other Matters Included in Charges Against Representative Cecil Brockman, according to a release from the speaker’s office.
The 12 members of the committee are:
- Rep. John Bell, Co-Chair (R-Wayne)
- Rep. Brenden Jones, Co-Chair (R-Columbus)
- Rep. Robert Reives, Co-Chair (D-Chatham)
- Rep. Julia Howard (R-Davie)
- Rep. Charles Miller (R-Brunswick)
- Rep. Mike Schietzelt (R-Wake)
- Rep. Harry Warren (R-Rowan)
- Rep. Vernetta Alston (D-Durham)
- Rep. Becky Carney (D-Mecklenburg)
- Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg)
- Rep. Brandon Lofton (D-Mecklenburg)
- Rep. Shelly Willingham (D-Edgecombe)
House Clerk James White explained the process in an email to FOX8, writing that “expulsion typically involves the formation of a committee to investigate alleged misconduct, report findings, and recommend to the House what action should be taken. Any expulsion would require a vote of the House of Representatives in chamber session.”
The last time a representative was expelled was in 2008, when Rep. Thomas Wright (D-District 18) was expelled for campaign finance violations. He was subsequently convicted of the charges and sentenced to prison.
According to Michael Bitzer, director of the Center for North Carolina Politics and Public Service and professor at Catawba College, the process to expel Wright took over a year.
With Brockman’s resignation submitted, it is unclear if the committee will go forward with the investigation. His replacement will be chosen by the Guilford County Democratic Party.
The allegations
On Oct. 8, Brockman was arrested on two counts of indecent liberties and two counts of statutory sex offense, all four charges involving the same 15-year-old victim.
Prosecutors allege that Brockman was tracking his teen victim using an app, called 911 when he couldn’t get to the victim’s location and tried to force his way through emergency room doors where the teen was hospitalized. He was initially denied bond because the magistrate said he used his position as a legislator to make contact with the victim. The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office began the investigation, referring it to High Point police, who in turn contacted the State Bureau of Investigation.
It’s also alleged that Brockman was living out of state during the summer, with court documents stating he had been evicted from a High Point apartment complex in May and prosecutors alleging that he lived in Atlanta with the victim before moving into another High Point apartment in August. There’s less clarity on whether this violates any existing rules or not.
At last check, Brockman has not resigned and remains a sitting member of the House despite currently being held in jail. He has not paid the $1,050,000 bond he was given when he appeared in court.
Brockman was briefly hospitalized immediately following his arrest, appearing in court from the hospital before being returned to jail.
His current term ends in January 2027, and it is likely that if he is not expelled from the House, he will face a challenger during the primaries next year, as he did in 2024.
He is due in court again on Nov. 3.
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