ASHEBORO NC – At a press conference eelier today Randolph County Sheriff Greg Seabolt announced that the SBI investigation as well as an out of county DA have cleared him of any wrongdoing.
On May 22nd, 2021 we reported that the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) had confirmed they had opened an investigation into allegations of misconduct made against Sheriff Seabolt.
The investigation was requested on May 5th by Randolph County District Attorney Andy Gregson. Gregson said he received complaints that Sherriff Seabolt was using a county-issued vehicle to haul campaign signs. One of those complaints was filed by former candidate for Randolph County Sheriff Erick Hicks. The Randolph County Board of Elections confirmed that Mr. Hicks is one of four individuals who have opened candidate committees in preparation for the 2022 Randolph County Sheriff’s Office. race.
Sheriff Seabolt said they the SBI invesigation did not play a part in his decision to file a civil suit against Mr. Hicks, but stated that the decision was based on the continuous untruths spread online.
On May 4, 2021, I was accused by an opposing candidate of using county property to campaign for the upcoming election. The accusation was emailed to multiple individuals, exploited on social media and sent to media outlets simply to tarnish my reputation. This tactic is typical dirty politics, a political strategy that is tearing this nation apart.
I have remained mostly silent for during the investigation as I had complete confidence in the State Bureau of Investigation’s ability to investigate the complaint objectively. The complaint was thoroughly investigated and subsequently unsubstantiated as criminal conduct.
Additionally, an out-of-county District Attorney reviewed the case and concluded that no charges will be filed. The basis of that conclusion was the lack of evidence to support criminal charges.
I want to thank all of my supporters that have stood by me during this difficult time. I feel as if this type of accusation against me will only fuel a fire with my supporters. I want to thank the State Bureau of Investigations and the District Attorney’s Office for their time away from the very important work they do.
As the Sheriff of Randolph County representing over 144,000 people, I promise to each of you that I will never use my authority to bring a negative cloud over our county or my office.
Sheriff Greg Seabolt