Gov. Bev Perdue on Thursday disputed reports in The News & Observer that said she found a long-ago extramarital affair by state Highway Patrol Commander Randy Glover irrelevant when it came to running the 1,800-member force.
Perdue posted on her blog that the newspaper "went too far when Dan Kane wrote, regarding a past affair by Highway Patrol Col. Randy Glover, that I 'said the affair is irrelevant when it comes to Glover's abilities to lead the Highway Patrol.' This is not true, and Kane's reporting on Col. Glover continues to be peppered with inaccuracies."
Perdue was responding to a report Thursday about the discipline of a trooper accused of an extramarital affair that police say triggered a confrontation in a Chatham County home. Trooper Anthony Scott was demoted and transferred.
On Oct. 19, nearly four months after Perdue appointed Glover to lead the patrol, Glover acknowledged that he had been transferred to New Bern in 1987 after being caught in an extramarital affair. Three days later, in a telephone news conference, Perdue had this to say about the affair:
"This is a man who is lieutenant colonel of the Highway Patrol. He had an affair nearly 25 years ago. He's married with two beautiful little daughters, and I really, really am disappointed in this kind of journalism.
"And did I disclose it? I will have to be very honest with you. I never once in any interview for any position ask anyone about their sexual preference, their sexual orientation or their past marital history. I didn't figure it had a thing to do with the job they could do for the people of North Carolina."
Until Thursday, Perdue had not challenged the accuracy of the Oct. 22 report of her comments.
On her blog Thursday, Perdue said she "would never condone an extramarital affair." She did not say how Glover's affair was relevant to his position.
The News & Observer has asked her office to list any inaccuracies in the newspaper's reporting.
