UPDATED at 7:00 p.m.: This blog post will not receive any more regular updates. Click here to read the latest news about this case.
Five top N.C. Democratic officials called on Party Chairman David Parker to resign Tuesday as the fallout from a scandal concerning sexual harassment allegations and a secret settlement agreement continues.
The letter is signed by Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, State Treasurer Janet Cowell, Superintendent June Atkinson, Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin and State Auditor Beth Wood.
Gov. Bev Perdue, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton and Attorney General Roy Cooper did not sign the letter. (See Perdue's reaction further down the Dome homepage).
But Dalton and Congressman Larry Kissell later said Parker should resign.
"We believe that it is in the best interest of the North Carolina and the Democratic Party for Democratic Party Chair David Parker to step aside and enable new leadership to begin the rebuilding process," the five elected officials said in a statement. "We believe Mr. Parker can no longer be as effective a leader as he needs to be under the circumstances. Given the importance of this election to our state and our country a change needs to be made as we prepare for the general election in November."
In a statement release through the party, Parker refused to step down. "I have no plans to resign and I am moving forward with the work of the Democratic Party," he said.
A number of Democratic activists have called for Parker to resign in recent days. The Council of State members joined the chorus Monday evening by sending Parker a letter that asked him to resign quietly. If he didn't respond by noon Tuesday, the top Democrats said they would make their call public, sources close to the officials said.
Comments
I imagine other council of
April 18, 2012 - 4:31pm — justwondering47I imagine other council of state didn't sign cause they have their own "issues" on the horizon.
..
April 17, 2012 - 8:30pm — OffTheRecord..
RedSnotPoker - the
April 17, 2012 - 5:35pm — old_libRedSnotPoker - the RepubliCON mouth breather disguised as a human being.
We're still holding Statesville
April 17, 2012 - 5:06pm — inandohLooks like it is harder to get rid of a party chairman than a college football coach.
NC Democrat Party ...
April 17, 2012 - 4:50pm — RedHotPokerthe CRIMINAL organization DISGUISED as a political party.
SHUT it DOWN completely. Run them OUT of NC NOW!
Apologies to Suess and Buchwald
April 17, 2012 - 4:27pm — MarkFeltDavid P. Parker,
will you please go now!
The time has come.
The time is now.
Just go. Go. Go! I don't care how.
You can go by foot. You can go by cow.
David P. Parker will you please go now!
You can go on skates. You can go on skis.
You can go in a hat. But Please go. Please!
…. You can go on stilts. You can go by fish.
You can go in a Crunk-Car If you wish.
If you wish You may go By lion's tale.
Or stamp yourself And go by mail.
David P. Parker Don't you know
The time has come To go, go, GO!
… You can go by bumble-boat . . . or jet.
I don't care how you go. Just get!
David P. Parker! I don't care how.
David P. Parker will you please GO NOW!
I'll say it again
April 17, 2012 - 4:15pm — KingixolibNorth Carolina democrats belong in jail, not public office!
I'll say it again
April 17, 2012 - 4:13pm — KingixolibNorth Carolina democrats belong in jail, not public office!
Tempest-in-a-teapot
April 17, 2012 - 4:05pm — MalleusMaleficarumUntil facts are known and made public, there is no reason whatsoever to hit the panic button. Marshall, Cowell, Goodwin, Wood and Atkinson have flapped. Parker has not. Nobody is saying that Parker harassed anybody. Nobody is saying that Parker condoned harassment. Nobody is saying that Parker did anything improper whatsoever. Nobody should panic over a tempest-in-a-teapot.
Follow the money
April 17, 2012 - 4:04pm — MarkFeltWhere did it come from
Who did it go to
Where is it reported on state forms?
While you're adding stories to the news budget
April 17, 2012 - 3:46pm — The_Nags_Headat tonight's editorial meeting, how about a little something on the GSA scandal? And don't spend so much time hiding the Secret Service scandal on some back page. If it hurts, just pretend that The Other Party is in the White House. Then you'll feel justified in hauling out the 60-pt and 72-pt headlines.
Top 5 Dems (up for re-election) gettin' all righteous!
April 17, 2012 - 3:11pm — OffTheRecordAnyone else notice how Janet Cowell, Beth Woods, Wayne Goodwin, June Atkinson and Elaine Marshall are up for re-election? Anyone else notice that free publicity is free publicity and what candidate doesn't need that? Anyone else notice that other council of state officers Roy Cooper and Walter Dalton ain't jumpin the bandwagon? They're up for re-election, too.
While these pilers-on were drafting up their latest press release, uh, I mean letter of indignation and righteousness, the state party leadership issued a new Personnel Policy memo just released today and signed by Chair David Parker establishing a new protocol that provides for state party employees to go above their boss' head and lodge complaints to the party's attorney and non-paid state party officers who were elected to lead it.
Those pesky personnel laws that prevent 100% transparency to the gawking republicans and John Q. Public are still tying the hands of those whose heads are on the chopping block. However, at least being between a rock and a hard place has now been fixed for the paid staffers at NCDP's HQ. Thank you, Mr. NC Dem. Party Chairman.
Wonder WHEN they KNEW and WHAT thye KNEW?
April 17, 2012 - 3:07pm — ViperRetI applaud the five members of the Council of State for publicly calling for a resignation. Now, in the spirit of TRANSPARENCY ( A word used VERY frequently by the White House), I wonder WHEN they, individually, found out about the "incident". THEN, I wonder how MUCH they knew? It appears that this thing will "NO GO AWAY". Therefore, the next step was to select another sacrificial person to volunteer for "MOVING bus undercarriage inspection duty". Really a bad week for Democrats. First the GSA, then Hillary Rosen, then the SS (now up to 20 young ladies for these virile lads appetites) and NOW this.
You gotta LOVE IT.....!
.... we had a deal!
April 17, 2012 - 2:16pm — AgentPierceDon't you know there have been some angry calls from these high-ranking Dem officials to a certain local newspaper....
"I thought we had a deal that you would never run this story. So what if it became a national story. Most of our local goobers never read national stories. We need to keep our base in the dark on all our corruption......"
Thanks
April 17, 2012 - 2:16pm — jbfrank (author)Thanks everyone. We fixed the omission.
Wonder who number five is?
April 17, 2012 - 2:14pm — gmfeierCold feet?
5ive?
April 17, 2012 - 2:10pm — alabamao68The headline and the lead paragraph say "five democratic officials" but the story only lists four. Who was the fifth?
Then it advises us to see Gov Perdue's reaction "on blog below". How?
What About the Facts?
April 17, 2012 - 1:44pm — ProctorDo these Democratic Council of State officials, all elected statewide by the people, want to know the true and relevant facts about what actually happened in this controvery? Or do they simply wish to "let it drop" by removing the state chairman?
David McKnight