NCSBE to investigate missing campaign finance records from Rockingham County
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
North Carolina elections investigator to probe missing records after WBTV investigation
An investigator with the N.C. State Board of Elections will go to Rockingham County. WBTV has attempted to get Sheriff Sam Page’s campaign finance reports for weeks. The reports are required to be retained until an elected official leaves office. Both county and state elections staff have said they do not have copies of Page’s reports prior to 2017. But the board has not requested a criminal investigation into the potential destruction of public records because there was no evidence that records had been destroyed.
That announcement was made Friday afternoon by NCSBE Executive Director Sam Hayes. Hayes issued a new statement one day after a WBTV investigation into the fact that campaign finance reports for Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page are missing for any year before 2017.
Page was first elected Rockingham County Sheriff in 1998 and is now challenging Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger in what is expected to be a bruising Republican primary.
WBTV has attempted to get Page’s campaign finance reports for weeks. The reports are required to be retained until an elected official leaves office. But both county and state elections staff have said they do not have copies of Page’s reports prior to 2017.
In a statement to WBTV on Wednesday, a spokesman for NCSBE said the board had not requested a criminal investigation into the potential destruction of public records because there was no evidence that records had been destroyed.
Hayes clarified the board’s position in a new statement Friday, which also revealed campaign finance reports for other candidates are missing in Rockingham County.
“I am aware of this situation involving campaign finance reports that are missing from Rockingham County records prior to 2017. I have spoken with the Rockingham County elections director, and I am committed to getting to the bottom of what happened here.”
“We understand that reports prior to 2017 are missing from the files of other candidates in addition to Sheriff Page. However, we have no evidence or indication that Sheriff Page or any other county candidate from before 2017 failed to file any required campaign finance disclosure reports.”
“Next week, I am sending an investigator from the State Board to meet with the elections director to gather additional details. The current Rockingham County Board of Elections and staff inherited this problem from a prior board. They are working diligently with State Board staff to address it.”
Separately, Rockingham County District Attorney Katy Gregg told WBTV on Friday that she was not aware of the missing campaign finance reports until she was alerted by a WBTV reporter.
Gregg said she was reviewing the potential case but could not provide details of any steps she may take to investigate.
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North Carolina sheriff’s campaign finance records missing as he launches bid for bigger office
Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page’s campaign finance records are missing. Page is challenging Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger in the GOP primary. It is a crime to destroy public records in North Carolina. The N.C. State Board of Elections says it has not found evidence that records were destroyed, despite previously saying it had not found reports before 2017. The Rockingham County BOE director will no longer answer questions about the state of Page’s missing campaign finance reports.“At no point in my nearly three decades of public service has my recordkeeping or compliance with campaign finance reporting requirements ever been called into question,” Page said in an email to WBTV. “If you’re having trouble obtaining records, I suggest that you follow up with the appropriate elections officials and inquire about the statutory record retention requirements for the relevant Board. I’m committed to addressing your inquiries promptly and transparently,’ he continued.
Page, who was first elected sheriff in 1998, is challenging Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger—his chamber’s longtime leader—in what is expected to be a bruising Republican primary early next year.
But efforts to turn up Page’s campaign finance reports from before 2017 have come up empty.
The retention schedule set by the North Carolina State Archives—the agency charged by the Public Records Act with setting guidelines for records retention—requires campaign finance reports to be kept by the appropriate elections office for the duration of a candidate’s time in office.
When a WBTV reporter contacted the Rockingham County Board of Elections to request Page’s campaign finance reports, the BOE first referred to records on the N.C. State Board of Elections website, which start in 2017.
“All of the financial reports for Sam Page are on the NC State Board of Elections website,” the BOE’s senior deputy director wrote.
When a reporter pointed out those records only cover a sliver of Page’s decades in office, the BOE staffer acknowledged there were no other records.
“I’m sorry but there is nothing in this office prior to 2017,” the staffer wrote.
When a reporter then asked if the records had been destroyed, Rockingham County BOE Director Paula Seamster offered additional details about her office’s unsuccessful efforts to locate additional records.
“We have conducted a diligent search, and unfortunately, the requested records cannot be located,” Seamster said. “Per the retention schedule, these documents would typically be maintained; however, after reviewing our records, we have not been able to retrieve them.”
Seamster also noted no current BOE employees worked at the office before June 2020.
It is a crime to destroy public records in North Carolina. Despite that, Seamster said her office had not requested an outside investigation into how the records went missing because the NCSBE had not directed the county board to do that.
A NCSBE spokesman, Pat Gannon, confirmed to WBTV that, based on Page’s finance records, there should be reports prior to 2017.
“Totals for the election disclosed in the 2017 YESA Report indicate that other reports were likely required in the January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2018, election cycle for some period before the 2017 YESA Report,” Gannon said.
“It is our understanding that the Rockingham County Board of Elections has been unable to locate the records in question. We are continuing conversations with the county board office regarding the matter.”
In an email, Page told WBTV he filed campaign finance reports prior to 2017 but did not specify which reports.
“All required campaign finance reports, both prior to and since 2017, were properly and timely filed. At no point in my nearly three decades of public service has my recordkeeping or compliance with campaign finance reporting requirements ever been called into question,” Page said.
“If you’re having trouble obtaining records, I suggest that you follow up with the appropriate elections officials and inquire about the statutory record retention requirements for the relevant Board. Should you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I’m committed to addressing your inquiries promptly and transparently,” the Sheriff continued.
But Page did not respond to a follow-up question from WBTV asking which reports he filed and whether he would provide copies of them.
Nearly two weeks after WBTV started asking for copies of Page’s reports, Seamster, the Rockingham BOE director, will no longer answer questions about the state of Page’s missing campaign finance reports and, instead, referred all questions to the NCSBE.
Gannon, the NCSBE spokesman, said in an email on June 4 that the NCSBE had not found evidence that records were destroyed, despite previously saying it appeared reports should have been filed before 2017.
“As of now, we have not found evidence indicating that records have been destroyed that would warrant the opening of a criminal investigation,” Gannon said.
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