So far, town leaders have been quiet about the exact reasons behind the controversy. But the ABC11 I-Team has uncovered new emails and expenses that are raising concerns.
The I-Team uncovered emails confirming Stegall was part of back-and-forth emails with Councilmember Lori Bush whom the town paid tens of thousands of dollars for a master's degree program, along with other expenses.
Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said this meeting, dealing with ethics and gift policies, was already in the works before this came to light, but they are remaining tight-lipped about what was discussed and why Stegall was placed on leave.
"A public records request submitted several weeks ago revealed receipts and documents, and that certain key information had not been revealed to me and not to full council, and certain decisions were made without council approval," Weinbrecht said.
Among the financial decisions raising concerns, Bush got more than $37,000 toward a master's program at Northwestern University, paid for by the Town of Cary. It's money that she later paid back after the payments were brought to light.
According to emails obtained by the I-Team, it appears Stegall gave Bush the idea for the master's program. In an email, Stegall told her, "This looks interesting, I immediately thought of you," and then suggested they do the program together.
And when it came to Bush getting reimbursed for her tuition, Stegall and Bush exchanged emails about questions over checks and how Bush would be paid back. Stegall says, "I'm on it. I'll go straight to finance."
The same set of public records also found that when Stegall attended the Harvard AI conference this past January, his hotel bill at the luxury W Hotel in Boston alone was nearly $2,500.
On Tuesday night, the mayor said that under state law, he couldn't share any more about what was discussed.
ABC11 reached out to Stegall but has not yet heard back.
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