NC ethics commission dismisses complaint of sexually harassing texts from Mike Causey
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The State Ethics Commission dismissed the complaint against Insurance Commissioner Causey.
- A commission panel found the alleged facts would not violate the Ethics Act.
- Taylor said she would contact the State Human Resources Commission.
The North Carolina State Ethics Commission has dismissed a complaint against State Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey that claimed he sent sexually harassing texts to a former employee.
April Taylor, the former employee who showed the texts to The News & Observer, shared the commission’s written decision Wednesday. The decision is marked confidential, and comes after a preliminary inquiry by a commission panel.
“After review and discussion as necessary, the Panel concluded its preliminary inquiry with a determination that the facts alleged in the complaint would not constitute a violation of the Ethics Act,’’ the decision said.
Kathy Edwards, the State Ethics Commission’s executive director, said in an email she could not talk about the complaint because she is prohibited by state law. But she said the commission has very limited jurisdiction, and does not handle state employee sexual harassment complaints.
According to the commission’s website, it has authority over the filing of economic interest statements, gifts provided to state officials, conflicts of interest between a state official’s actions and their “family or financial interests,” the use of an official’s title or position in ads and public service announcements, restrictions against hiring an official’s family member and officials’ use of confidential or private information for personal benefit.
Who has authority over sexual harassment claims?
The State Human Resources Commission has authority over sexual harassment claims, as does the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Taylor also claimed in her state ethics complaint that Causey was campaigning on state time and with a state vehicle. Causey, a Guilford County Republican, was first elected in 2016.
Edwards pointed to the State Board of Elections for complaints about the use of state resources for campaigning.
Taylor shared several texts from her cellphone that showed they came from Causey’s personal cell. In one, Causey texted: “I might jump your bones. Watch out!!!”
Complaint filed with EEOC
Taylor worked for the insurance department for eight years, first as a regional director and then as a bail bond division analyst. She left the job in March and has contacted several agencies and officials about her concerns.
Last week, Barry Smith, a spokesman for the department, said it has no “public” records in response to an N&O request for all texts between the commissioner and Taylor. Smith offered no further explanation.
He said Wednesday in an email the commission had previously told Causey that if the complaint led to a formal inquiry, “he would be notified and would be able to respond to the allegations, including submitting any documentation.”
“This morning Commissioner Causey was informed that the complaint had been dismissed by the Ethics Commission because ‘the facts alleged in the complaint would not constitute a violation of the Ethics Act.,’ Smith said, quoting from the letter. “As a result, neither Commissioner Causey nor the Department submitted any documentation to the Ethics Commission.”
Taylor said she was disappointed with the ethics commission’s decision, but she would reach out to the State Human Resources Commission and the state elections board. She said she has filed a complaint with the EEOC.
“I’ll exhaust every measure,” she said.
This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 4:07 PM.