NC lawmakers says Apex employee left voicemails filled with swear words
NEWS COVERAGE YOU CAN COUNT ON.
>> ONLY ON WRAL. CAMPAIGN SIGNS
LED TO ANGRY VOICEMAILS
DIRECTED AT A WAKE COUNTY
LAWMAKER. THE VOICE ON THE
OTHER END A LEADER AND WANT TO
WAKE COUNTY'S LARGEST TOWNS.
THE BUREAU SAY GOVERNMENT
REPORTER PAUL SPACE SHOWS US
WHAT WAS ON THOSE VOICEMAILS
AND HOW IT CAUSED TENSION WITH
TOWN LEADERS.
APEX OFFICIALS INVITED THERE IN
PERU AND OTHER LAWMAKERS STILL
BREAKFAST TO SHARE THEIR WISH
LIST FOR NEW LAWS IN NEW
FUNDING.
>> BUT PARADE DECLINED CITING
PROFANE MESSAGES FROM A TOWN
EMPLOYEE AARON PARADE WAS
RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION IN
OCTOBER WHEN SHE SAYS SHE
RECEIVED VOICEMAILS FROM PHONE
NUMBER TIED TO A PACKED SENIOR
PLANNER JUNE COWS.
>> PROVIDED THE RECORDINGS TO
WRAL NEWS AND THEN YOU HEAR
SOMEONE COMPLAINING ABOUT
PARADES, YARD SIGNS USING
PROFANITY AND ONE PATIENTS ON
THE FLY.
>> I PUNCH.
>> AND YOU'RE RIGHT IN FRONT
OF UP.
ABOUT FLYING. I WANT THAT TO
MIND.
>> APEX DID NOT CONFIRM OR DENY
THAT THE MESSAGES WERE FROM
COWS. BUT AN E-MAIL THE TOWN
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE CALLS CAME
FROM A TOWN EMPLOYEE. I HAVE
NEVER RECEIVED VOICEMAILS OR
EMAILS LIKE THAT FROM ANY TOWN
OFFICIAL EVER. WRAL REACH CAL'S
BY PHONE TO ASK ABOUT THE
MESSAGES SHE HUNG UP AND SHE
DIDN'T RESPOND. WE CALLED BACK
OR TO OUR E-MAILS OR TEXT
MESSAGES SEEKING COMMENT.
ONE INFORM THE TOWN ABOUT THE
MESSAGES. APEX OFFICIALS SAID
THEY DO NOT REPRESENT THE VIEWS
OF THE TOWN, BUT THEY FOUND
NO VIOLATION OF TOWN RULES.
THE TOWN TOLD WRAL THAT IT DOES
NOT RESTRICT AND EMPLOYEES
RIGHT TO ENGAGE IN FREE SPEECH
THAT FALLS OUTSIDE OF THEIR
JOB DUTIES. PRAY SAID SHE WAS
SURPRISED BY THE TOWN'S
RESPONSE. SHE EXPECTED AN
APOLOGY. SO WHEN SHE RECEIVED
AN INVITATION TO THE TOWN'S
LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST, SHE
REJECTED. I'M NOT GOING TO TELL
THE TOWN OF APEX HOW TO HANDLE
THEIR TOWN OR THEIR EMPLOYEES.
>> BUT I I WILL RECOGNIZE THAT
THIS THIS IS A
KIND OF SURPRISING A SET OF
EVENTS NOW SAYS SHE WON'T LET
THIS DISPUTE AFFECT HER
DECISIONS IN THE STATE HOUSE.
BUT LAWMAKERS DO HAVE THE POWER
TO CHANGE THE WAY
MUNICIPALITIES DO THINGS.
THAT'S WHY APEX MAYOR JOHN
GILBERT TOLD US.
>> HE SPENT YEARS TRYING TO
BUILD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP OR A
AND HE HOPES THIS DISPUTE
DOESN'T DERAIL IT. POST A WRAL
NEWS.
YOU CAN FIND ALL OF THE
REPORTING FROM THE NC CAPITOL
TEAM ON WRAL DOT COM.
>> JUST CLICK ON THE SPECIALIST