STATEMENT: 100 Days From The Election, Michael Whatley Has Proven He’s An Out-Of-Touch DC Insider Who Is Only Looking Out For Himself

To mark 100 days until Election Day, NCDP Chair Anderson Clayton released the following statement:

“When North Carolina voters head to the polls in 100 days, they won’t forget that DC insider and Big Oil lobbyist Michael Whatley has repeatedly backed policies that spike his stock portfolio while driving up the price of gas, groceries, energy bills, and health care for working families. Roy Cooper has a proven record delivering for North Carolinians – from expanding Medicaid and taking on health insurance companies, to fighting Duke Energy rate hikes. Only one candidate will deliver for us in the U.S. Senate, and that’s Roy Cooper. Whatley will only deliver for his own bank account.”

Michael Whatley is a DC insider and Big Oil lobbyist who enriches himself at North Carolinians’ expense and is out of touch with working families and just plain wrong for North Carolina. He’s so desperate to run from voters that he’s developing a pattern of calling the police on local reporters trying to cover his campaign.

WHATLEY IS ENRICHING HIMSELF AT NORTH CAROLINIANS’ EXPENSE: 

As a DC political hack and lobbyist, Michael Whatley has spent his career enriching himself while North Carolinians pay the price:

• BIG PHARMA STOCKS: Whatley actively pushed for a bill that changed prescription drug regulation, increasing drug prices for North Carolina seniors and benefiting up to $265,000 of his Big Pharma stock. 

• PRIVATE INSURANCE STOCKS: As the co-chair of the FEMA Review Council’s Final Report Subcommittee, Whatley’s report included recommendations pushing for the privatization of flood insurance, which could benefit up to $190,000 of stock he holds at the expense of disaster victims.

WHATLEY IS OUT OF TOUCH WITH WORKING FAMILIES:

Whatley has no idea what working families are going through as they try to make ends meet: 

• HEALTH CARE: He helped pass the bill that guts Medicaid for hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians and raises prescription drug costs for seniors while spiking the up to $265,000 he holds in Big Pharma stocks. He also cheered on the expiration of the ACA tax credits, which sent premiums soaring for nearly a million North Carolinians.

• GAS PRICES: Just this past week, Whatley doubled down on his support for the escalating war in Iran, saying he “absolutely supports” it, even as it drives up gas prices and kills multiple North Carolina service members. 

WHATLEY IS WRONG FOR NORTH CAROLINA: 

Michael Whatley has a pattern of protecting criminals and putting North Carolinians’ safety at risk:

• HARVEY WEST: Whatley appointed convicted child sex offender Harvey West to leadership positions within the NCGOP. West has admitted he was open with NCGOP leadership about his criminal past, which includes serving six years in prison for sexually abusing three minors.

• MASS PARDONS: Whatley supports the mass pardons of January 6 insurrectionists despite dozens of rioters having “prior convictions or pending charges, including for rape and the sexual abuse of minors.” The pardons endangered families by putting pedophiles and sex predators back on the streets..

• ACCUSED SEX-CRIMINAL: Whatley has defended a man who was charged in a sex trafficking investigation and is now bankrolling Whatley’s campaign to the tune of $350,000.

North Carolinians know they can’t trust Michael Whatley to look out for them in the Senate – and that’s why they’ll reject him at the ballot box in 100 days.

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