In North Carolina, a married mayor is facing controversy after being accused of sneaking a woman into the town hall late at night, but he has declared he will not step down from his position.

Chris Carney, the mayor of Mooresville, found himself embroiled in a scandal when former IT employee Jeff Noble alleged that Carney was seen escorting journalist Jaime Gatton into the municipal building in October 2024. These accusations were detailed in a legal complaint filed by Noble in January 2026.

Noble became suspicious when he noticed the mayor accessing the building at unusual hours by using his ID card, prompting him to look further into the situation.

While the specifics of what transpired between Carney and Gatton, 48, within the town hall remain murky, Noble’s lawsuit claims that the mayor was wandering the corridors without his pants.

Despite the scandal breaking two months ago, Carney is steadfast in his decision to retain his role as mayor.

On Monday, the Mooresville commissioners expressed their lack of confidence in Carney with a 4-2 vote, following a series of lawsuits that have arisen due to the allegations surrounding the small town.

Commissioners then adopted a resolution that formally requests Carney step down, but Carney decided he would serve until his term ends in about 19 months, seemingly blaming the scandal on issues he was facing in his personal life at the time. 

‘You’ve got to remember, this was in 2024. It’s been so long ago, and obviously, as I tell people, I was fighting through a lot of stuff at the time,’ Carney, who is married to his wife Francie, told Queen City News.

Mooresville Mayor Chris Carney (pictured alongside his wife Francie) said he will not retire from his position despite being told to do so over a scandal that saw him sneak another woman into town hall late at night in October 2024, a recent lawsuit stated

He was allegedly caught ushering local journalist Jaime Gatton (pictured) into the building, according to a lawsuit filed by former IT employee Jeff Noble in January 2026

Under North Carolina state law, Carney can technically stay in the role because there is no statutory mechanism to remove a mayor from office. 

Still, Mooresville commissioners are prepared to continue their fight against Carney. 

‘There are things, further actions that the board can take to continue to communicate to him that we stand behind the resolution, but I don’t feel like it’s appropriate to comment on what those actions are at this time,’ Commissioner Dana Tucker told the outlet. 

Tucker said he created a presentation about all the ways he believes the mayor went against the board’s ethics, which is what prompted the no confidence vote from commissioners. 

He also said the presentation could help take further action against Carney. 

Meanwhile, Carney talked about the three lawsuits that arose from former employees claiming they were fired after raising concerns about the town hall incident. 

‘At the end of the day, each person is just trying to survive on their own political merit. I know this has been a lot, and although we keep saying let’s let the truth come out in the lawsuits, they’ve had to answer to some questions. I’m sure they’re tired of it,’ he stated. 

Carney also made a dig at those looking to oust him. 

It remains unclear what Carney and Gatton, 48, got up to inside town hall (pictured), but Noble claimed the local politician was wandering the hallways without pants on, per the legal filing

In his suit, Noble (pictured) claimed that Carney and other officials actively worked to suppress the surveillance video and worked against him before he was fired from his job in July last year

‘One thing our board did that people don’t realize is they asked me to step out, and they hired a complete independent group to look into it. 

‘We have a whole report that says it just never happened. The sad part is I think these people are going to realize they did this to themselves. 

‘Because through that investigation they found out about the next person. And then through that investigation they found out about the next person,’ he added. 

According to Noble, Carney and Gatton remained inside the building for four-and-a-half hours even after local police responded when motion detectors were triggered.

At that point, Gatton retreated into the mayor’s office and hid, Noble said, with officers not searching the office or the surrounding area.

Noble said he reported his discovery to his supervisors in the city IT department, saying he believed it was a security breach, a misuse of municipal property, and violated mayoral ethics.

In his suit, he claimed that Carney and other officials actively worked to suppress the surveillance video and worked against him before he was fired from his job in July last year.

Carney admitted to being inside the building that evening, telling the Iredell Free News in December 2024 that Gatton has been a friend of his for 20 years. 

He told the outlet he was out for dinner that same night and had drinks with a town commissioner and his aides before meeting Gatton for a margarita at a bar.

After deciding to leave, he claimed he felt sick and decided he could not drive home, opting instead to go to the town hall to pick up a cell phone.

In his most recent comments about the ordeal, Carney stated he has said all he’s needed to

He and his wife Francie share three children, Rachel, Maddie, and Will, together, according to his profile on the town’s website

Carney said Gatton went with him as she was concerned for him, telling the outlet that as he entered the building: ‘I got worse, I got dizzy, I felt nauseous.’

He claimed that the prescription medication for anxiety he was taking, coupled with the drinks he had consumed, had made him sick.

According to Carney, the pair decided to stay inside the building for several hours until he felt safe enough to drive home.

‘I felt I was doing the right thing and not driving impaired. I came here because I thought it was a safe place’, he told the outlet.

He and his wife Francie share three children, Rachel, Maddie, and Will, together, according to his profile on the town’s website. 

Carney and his wife live in a home worth $400,000 in Mooresville, North Carolina

The couple resides in a comfortable four-bedroom home near a lake in the town with an estimated value of $400,000. 

In his most recent comments about the ordeal, Carney stated he has said all he’s needed to. 

‘I’ve made all the statements about that I want to make. I am sorry for the distraction, but as any commissioner who wants to be honest with you, I owned it the next day.’ 

He continued: ‘I’m in a so much better place and I’m really thankful actually,” he said. “It was a great turning point for me.’ 

The Daily Mail contacted Carney and Gatton for comment.