As he challenges Berger, NC sheriff faces investigation — over a vending machine
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Page faces SBI probes and county scrutiny over alleged off-books sheriff accounts
- Berger family holds multiple offices; commissioners pressed Page for records
- Phil Berger faces a primary challenge from Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page
The most powerful Republican in North Carolina is being challenged in his primary election by a longtime local sheriff, who is now facing a state investigation — over his handling of vending machine revenue.
Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger filed for election in early December, as did Sheriff Sam Page of Berger’s home county of Rockingham. President Donald Trump endorsed Berger on Wednesday night and offered Page a job in Washington if he drops out.
The two campaigns have been attacking each other for months on social media on a variety of issues, including Page being the subject of one or more investigations by the State Bureau of Investigation.
Page has acknowledged there’s an inquiry, saying during a news conference after he filed for office that he’s spoken to the SBI, but would not comment further about the nature of any investigation.
On Wednesday in an interview with The News & Observer, Page went further, saying: “I was contacted by the SBI in regards to a drink machine vending account and I answered questions.”
“I did meet with them, and sat down and cooperated with them,” Page said.
An SBI spokesperson told The News & Observer on Dec. 5 that the agency “is not commenting on this case.”
In November, a Rockingham County commissioner questioned what he called an “off the books” account in the sheriff’s office.
The commissioner, who at the time chaired the board, is Senate leader Phil Berger’s son, Kevin Berger.
Page and the Berger family have been publicly at odds for many years, including over a failed attempt to bring a casino to the county, and Page is questioning whether the recent scrutiny is related to the primary election.
Here’s what we’ve been able to find out about the state investigation and a separate county inquiry of Page.
Sheriff says Kevin Berger inquiries increased
Commissioners complained in 2024 about a failure to report incidents at the Rockingham County jail, which is run by the sheriff and had seen a spate of 11 deaths.
Earlier this year, commissioners questioned Page entering financial contracts for services at the jail without first getting approval from county commissioners, who control funding. During a March meeting, commissioners reviewed contracts that were “entered improperly” by Page, who did not have authority as sheriff to do so, according to the minutes of their meeting. County Attorney Clyde Albright told commissioners four contracts he discovered were signed incorrectly, according to the minutes.
Page sees a ramping up of inquires since he declared his run against Sen. Berger in February.
The sheriff said Kevin Berger getting involved and making inquiries of the sheriff’s office “seemed to intensify after I announced my intent to run against his daddy.”
Asked for a response on Page’s comment about timing of inquires, Kevin Berger said “it’s been pretty clear since 2022 that Sam Page has been focused on finding a new political office instead of his day job, and since then we’ve had a lot of problems in his jail and in his office. Of course the county commissioners are doing their jobs and taking a closer look at that — the mismanagement has cost our taxpayers millions, cost people their lives, and made a mess for the next sheriff to clean up.”
“Sheriff Page is really angry people are holding him accountable and asking tough questions. I really think that’s a big reason he’s seeking the Senate seat,” Kevin Berger told The N&O.
In 2024, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office lost insurance coverage over jail deaths, The N&O previously reported, and commissioners have scrutinized the office more since then.
Timeline of county oversight questions of Sheriff Page
In the spring of 2025, the county’s finance director found the vending account and consulted with the district attorney, which led to the SBI investigation.
As a commissioner, Kevin Berger filed multiple public records requests with the county for Page’s financial information in April, documents obtained by The N&O show.
Asked about those requests, Berger told The N&O on Wednesday that he has “made requests for information and records related to my role as commissioner. We have had to pay out substantial sums in lawsuits as a result of a lack of proper oversight.”
Oversight continued during the Nov. 17 commissioners meeting, when Kevin Berger went through a list of problems with the sheriff’s office, including not announcing changes in staff in a timely manner and Page not attending department head meetings. The comments came during a discussion of a report on budget-related performance measures.
Berger, who ended his tenure as chair in December, said during the November meeting the county had requested a daily email notifying if there are any incidents at the jail, and said commissioners had to change a form to make sure that all incidents are reported. Berger said that County Manager Lance Metzler had suggested calling for reports within eight hours for a death, and within 24 hours for other incidents “that may be deemed a liability to the safety and risk manager.”
The failure to report “has cost us dearly,” Berger said, with insurance deductibles going up as a result. Berger and Metzler also said Page was not attending an accident review board.
Page told The N&O that as an elected constitutional officer, he is not a department head and so does not attend some budget meetings until later in the process. As for jail incident reports, Page said he and his staff follow reporting requirements to the risk manager.
In a November county commissioners’ meeting, Berger referred to previous news reports of “a bank account discovered by the county” related to vending machines. He said commissioners are “the ones that’s supposed to be authorizing expenditures.”
Berger said Page has “handed over a few years of records” for his vending machine account, and directed the county manager to request more records for commissioners to discuss at their December meeting.
By then, Page had confirmed at a news conference in November there was a vending machine account that had existed at least since he has been sheriff, saying his office has “maintained all records and have done things correctly.”
“There is no secret drink machine account,” Page said in his interview with The N&O.
Commissioner Berger called for records of ‘off the books’ account
At commissioners’ meeting Dec. 1, Kevin Berger followed up with the county attorney and manager.
“I know we discovered a bank account that was off the books, and we requested records from the sheriff. Has he delivered those records?” he asked. Both the county attorney and manager said they had not received them, and Berger said he hoped to get them by the next meeting in January.
Berger said a prior bank account was also “off the books” and money from that closed account was used for the newer one the county discovered in spring 2025.
“The statutes require that monies be budgeted, audited and disclosed to the public, not just to this board,” Berger said, and added that the bank account was not authorized by the county commission.
Page told The N&O on Wednesday that he sent the requested records to the county on Dec. 3. He also said that in 2011, he shared records with the county when a local audit requested documents.
Other SBI investigations
FOX 8 WGHP reported in November that the SBI was investigating after a former Rockingham County deputy had “sexual contact” with an inmate. The deputy was suspended and then fired.
In early October, WXII 12 Winston-Salem, the television station in Berger and Page’s area, and WHQR public radio both reported that the SBI confirmed it was investigating Page, though not about what. Page told the TV station that he regularly cooperates with SBI on investigations, but did not give specifics. Charlotte’s WBTV had been reporting on missing Board of Elections information related to Page’s campaign.
Page told The N&O on Wednesday that the SBI was brought in about missing campaign finance reports, and says he has turned in documents he has. He said he is waiting to hear the status of that SBI investigation.
Washington correspondent Danielle Battaglia contributed.
This story was originally published December 10, 2025 at 8:28 PM.
