NC Rep. Carla Cunningham (L) and Mecklenburg Sheriff Garry McFadden. (Photo: Clayton Henkel/NC Newsline)
State Rep. Carla Cunningham, the Charlotte Democrat who sparked controversy in July 2025 with a House floor speech castigating immigrants, filed a petition Monday asking a Mecklenburg County judge to remove Sheriff Garry McFadden from office.
Mecklenburg Co. Sheriff’s Office Public Information Manager Sarah Mastouri said the sheriff is aware of the complaint, but declined to comment.
According to the petition, McFadden called Cunningham to lobby her not to vote to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of House Bill 318, which requires sheriffs to hold ICE detainees without a warrant for 48 hours.
McFadden had been a vocal critic of the bill, which he said would damage his office’s relationship with the immigrant community in Mecklenburg County and lead to higher jail costs.
According to Cunningham’s sworn affidavit, McFadden said to her that the people in her district would “come after” her if she voted to override the veto, and said, “I don’t want to see you get hurt; you live in my county.”
Cunningham, the affidavit says, understood those statements to be “a threat by McFadden to either physically harm her, or to withdraw or refuse her any protection from members of the public who would physically harm her.”
The petition alleges that McFadden was attempting to extort or bribe Cunningham to change her vote to override the veto.
Cunningham’s controversial floor speech during H318 veto override vote angered many immigrants and advocates as well as members of her own party, who accused her of working with Republican leaders to undermine the governor.
Cunningham has said she received violent threats and had to hire private security in the aftermath. The longtime lawmaker is facing several primary challengers in March.
NC Newsline asked Cunningham’s spokeswoman Kate Payne if the lawmaker had a recording or any other evidence of the conversation. Payne did not immediately respond.
The petition was jointly signed by several former sheriff’s office employees who also accuse McFadden of misuse of resources, retaliation against whistleblowers, understaffing the detention center and other alleged misconduct.
The filing of the complaint comes the same day N.C. House Republican leaders announced they’ve subpoenaed McFadden to appear before an oversight committee Jan. 22 to testify about the killing of Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte transit in August 2025, and to answer questions about allegations that he is still promoting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in defiance of a state law prohibiting them.
McFadden, a Democrat in his eighth year as sheriff, is seeking a third term in 2026.
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