Brockman Faces Sex Charges, Calls to Resign

N.C. Rep. Cecil Brockman (D-Guilford) is facing bipartisan calls for his resignation after being charged with multiple sex crimes.

Brockman, 41, was arrested Wednesday by the State Bureau of Investigation and charged with two counts each of indecent liberties with a child and statutory rape. Arrest records show the alleged victim was between the ages of 13 and 15. The offenses are alleged to have taken place on August 15.

Brockman was held without bail in the High Point jail. On Friday afternoon, he made his first appearance in a Guilford County court, appearing remotely from a local hospital where he was taken after an unspecified “medical emergency” postponed a scheduled Thursday hearing.

The judge set bail at $1,050,000. Brockman initially filed an affidavit of indigency, indicating he could not afford an attorney and would need to have one appointed. On Friday, he said he would be hiring his own attorney. If released on bond, Brockman would not be able to leave the state or contact the alleged victim.

Upon booking, the magistrate considered Brockman a flight risk due to his position as a state legislator, according to court records, which allege he has already “used his status to gain information about the whereabouts of the victim.” The same records say he “has made attempts to contact the victim in this case and has gone as far as attempting to locate the juvenile in the hospital.”

Another factor in denying bail, the magistrate indicated on the form, was the weight of evidence against Brockman, including electronic records.

On Friday, the District Attorney’s office laid out its initial case against Brockman, saying he met the alleged victim through an online app in May, when they were 14. They turned 15 in June, and Brockman lived with them first in Atlanta and then, in August, moved with them to High Point, the office alleges.

On Oct. 5, according to the district attorney’s office, Brockman contacted 911 to say he needed help locating the teen. Brockman was allegedly tracking them using a phone tracking application. The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office initially responded, ultimately contacting the High Point Police Department, which referred the case to the SBI.

When police found the teen and inspected their phone, they reported that they found sexually explicit videos.

‘He Should Resign Immediately’

While Brockman’s representatives have made no public statements, both Republican and Democratic legislative party leaders called for his resignation on Thursday.

As of Friday afternoon, Brockman’s office had given no indication whether he would resign.

Gov. Josh Stein called the charges against Brockman “extremely serious and deeply troubling.”

“While the legal process has yet to play out, it’s clear he cannot effectively serve his constituents and should resign immediately,” Stein said in a statement Thursday.

Former Gov. Roy Cooper, now running for U.S. Senate, followed with a statement on social media. “The criminal charges brought against Rep. Brockman are disturbing and disqualifying,” Cooper wrote. “He should resign immediately.”

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton agreed.

“The profound seriousness of these criminal charges makes it impossible to represent his community,” Clayton said in a social media post Thursday.

House Minority Leader Robert Reives initially said it was important to let the legal process play out. But later in the day, as more details became publicly available, he joined the calls for Brockman to resign.

“[I]t has become clear that he is unable to continue serving in the House of Representatives,” Reives wrote in a statement Thursday afternoon. “Rep. Brockman must resign immediately.”

House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) joined that call.

“Given the evidence that’s publicly known, he should resign immediately so these charges do not distract from the work of the North Carolina House,” Hall said in a statement.

Brockman’s fellow Guilford County Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford) said Brockman is entitled to due process under the law, but called on him to resign as his case unfolds.

“I am committed to maintaining the integrity, accountability, and public trust required in public service,” Harrison said. “Given the serious nature of the charges, I believe Representative Brockman should step aside immediately and focus on addressing these allegations.”

Under Pressure

Should Brockman resign, the executive committee of the Guilford County Democratic Party would forward nominees for replacement to the governor. Stein would then have seven days to appoint someone to finish Brockman’s term, which ends next year.

Should Brockman refuse to resign, the house could vote to expel him. That hasn’t happened since the House expelled Rep. Thomas Wright (D -New Hanover) in 2008 over charges he misused more than $340,000 in campaign and non-profit money. The house voted overwhelmingly to expel him before he was criminally convicted and sentenced.

Before the Wright case, the step had not been taken since 1835 when what was then the North Carolina House of Commons expelled Rep. Robert Potter after he lost a card game, then pulled a knife and a pistol and ran off with the pot.

A consensus replacement for Brockman has already been identified, according to sources within the party.

“Even before this, there was obviously a desire to see him replaced,” said one source with direct knowledge who requested anonymity in order to discuss internal party matters. “Given that and the details of these charges, I think he knows he has to resign or [be removed].”

Brockman has represented District 60, a Democratic stronghold that includes High Point, since 2015. Over the last decade, he has been criticized for frequent absences from legislative sessions, sometimes during key votes when fellow Democrats needed him to sustain a veto against the Republican majority. He has voted so often with Republicans, including on bills strongly opposed by his fellow Democrats, that many speculated he may, like Rep. Tricia Cotham, defect to the GOP.

Brockman has publicly teased such a move before, saying he can handle criticism but may find his limit. As the only out LGBTQ male lawmaker in North Carolina, Brockman said he is used to scrutiny and opposition, even from within his own community. He has been open about his own mental health struggles, which have sometimes led to prolonged absences from Raleigh. His compromises with the GOP majority have helped his district, he said, and he sees no reason to toe the Democratic party line on every vote.

As The Assembly has reported, Brockman has faced Democratic primary challenges—the most recent from James Adams, then president of the High Point NAACP. Brockman narrowly survived that primary challenge, and did so with help from the Carolina Leadership Coalition, a conservative nonprofit with deep ties to then-House Speaker Tim Moore and a political action committee that supports House Republicans. The group financed and distributed political fliers in support of Brockman, leading to further criticism of his close ties to legislative Republicans.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect information from Brockman’s Friday hearing at the Guilford County courthouse.