Amid misuse of funds investigation at Fayetteville State, House Democrats' new PR person resigns
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- The newly hired Director of Communications for North Carolina House Democrats has resigned from the position just weeks after accepting it.
Joy Cook is one of the former Fayetteville State University employees named in the state auditor's investigation into misuse of university credit cards.
The House Democratic Caucus sent ABC11 this statement about Joy Cook's hiring and abrupt resignation:
"We hired Joy Cook off of her merit and over 20 years of nationally recognized communication experience. Our hiring process is extremely competitive, and her references went through a thorough review and vetting process of which Ms. Cook had exemplary reviews. She has resigned her position, and the House Democratic Caucus is focused on more pressing issues such as funding education and the attack on DEI, which impacts many North Carolinians."
In a news release sent to ABC11 announcing Cook's hire, she provided this statement:
"I am honored to join the NC House Democrats as the Director of Communications," said Joy Cook. "I look forward to working closely with the talented team of legislators and staff to effectively communicate our party's priorities and engage with the people of North Carolina. Together, we will ensure that our message resonates with the public and drives positive change for our state."
As ABC11 reported Tuesday, May 28, an audit by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) shows nearly $700,000 was misused by some Fayetteville State University (FSU) staff members.
The audit and investigation started after several tips reporting that employees within the Office of Strategic Communication (OSC) had made impermissible purchases on their university-issued credit cards.
"We received anonymous tips from seven different complainants regarding misuse of funds at FSU," State Auditor Jessica Holmes confirmed.
Holmes said the SBI has been asked to explore whether criminal charges should be filed.
The full audit reveals that $692,239 of charges were made via a purchasing card or a travel card. Those purchases were either unallowable or did not contain sufficient documentation.
Holmes said they reviewed employees' misspending at FSU from January 2022 to last August 2023 and it shows the cards were used to buy gifts, purchases on Amazon and travel out of state. Some of the purchases weren't backed up with documents or receipts.
Another misuse of the cards detailed in the report says, $165,570 was paid to businesses owned by employees who had not disclosed a financial interest in the business, creating a conflict of interest.
ABC11 is continuing to follow this story, please check back for updates.
