Small Town in Brouhaha Over Video of Pantsless Mayor

Mooresville isn't ready to let the cameras roll, at least not publicly. The North Carolina town on Wednesday appealed a judge's order requiring it to release overnight Town Hall surveillance footage showing a pantsless Mayor Chris Carney and a woman inside the building on Oct. 10, 2024. The notice of appeal, filed with the state Court of Appeals, follows an April 15 ruling that the videos are public records and not protected as criminal investigative files or security material, reports the Charlotte Observer. The case stems from a lawsuit by WBTV seeking the footage.

Town officials say the appeal is less about the mayor and more about precedent. In a statement, they warned the ruling could mean any surveillance video from public buildings statewide—courthouses, police and fire stations included—"could be considered public records," posing "safety and security risks." The Board of Commissioners, which previously passed a no-confidence vote in Carney and urged him to resign, said it still does not endorse his conduct but supports the appeal on security grounds. Carney has said he became ill after mixing medication and alcohol, triggered alarms twice, and removed his pants while cleaning vomit off them. He insists the footage shows "nothing inappropriate" with a woman who is a family friend, and asks, "When do I get to have my own dignity?"