North Carolina Releases Roy Cooper 2018 Email Batch
The 313-page collection details gubernatorial communications from 2018, including discussions on legal costs and state funds.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Government
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The North State Journal received a second batch of 313 pages of emails from former Governor Roy Cooper in mid-August 2026. These records cover official correspondence and policy discussions throughout the 2018 calendar year.
Why it matters
The documents offer a transparent look into the administrative decision-making process and communication habits of the former governor. The records include details on legal expenses and major state mitigation funds from that period.
The released records cover 100 to 120 unique email conversations conducted by the governor throughout 2018. The documents also confirm a $65,000 salary increase for senior adviser Ken Eudy upon his 2023 rehiring.
The players
Roy Cooper
He served as the Governor of North Carolina and features prominently in the correspondence released by the North State Journal.
Ken Eudy
He is a former senior adviser to the governor who saw his salary increase by more than $65,000 when he was rehired in 2023.
North State Journal
This news organization is based in Raleigh and obtained the records through public document requests.
The details
Most of the emails consist of brief, single-word or short-phrase responses sent by Cooper from an iPhone. The correspondence covers a variety of topics, including the repeal of House Bill 2 and the management of a $57.8 million mitigation fund.
Timeline
January 2018 marks the beginning of the period covered by the email records.
December 2018 marks the end of the period covered by the email records.
Ken Eudy was rehired by the governor's staff in spring 2023.
The North State Journal received the second batch of emails in mid-August 2026.
Political Context
The emails document the executive response to the controversy surrounding the repeal of House Bill 2. Opponents often argue that such records show a lack of direct executive oversight or demonstrate a pattern of delegating critical policy decisions to staff.
These records provide North Carolina taxpayers with insight into how millions of dollars in legal expenses and mitigation funds were managed by the governor's office. The transparency of these communications impacts public trust in the executive decision-making process.
The takeaway
Understanding the communication habits of former public officials helps citizens track the evolution of state policy over time. Accessing public records is a critical step for voters seeking to hold their government representatives accountable for their administrative choices.
Further reading
For more on state policy and public record transparency, visit North Carolina Government.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The North State Journal.
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