{"id":2523476,"date":"2025-12-20T06:27:02","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T11:27:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/north-carolina-audit-questions-roy-coopers-hurricane-recovery-claims\/"},"modified":"2025-12-20T06:33:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T11:33:21","slug":"north-carolina-audit-questions-roy-coopers-hurricane-recovery-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/north-carolina-audit-questions-roy-coopers-hurricane-recovery-claims\/","title":{"rendered":"North Carolina audit questions Roy Cooper\u2019s hurricane recovery claims"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnorth-carolina-audit-questions-roy-coopers-hurricane-recovery-claims%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2523476&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A recent audit by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor challenges former Governor Roy Cooper&#8217;s claims about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/miranda-devine-ex-hunter-business-partner-tony-bobulinski-takes-on-the-biden-machine\/\" title=\"Miranda Devine: Ex-Hunter Business Partner Tony Bobulinski Takes on the Biden Machine\">hurricane recovery efforts<\/a> following Hurricanes Matthew (2016) and Florence (2018). The audit found that only 3,522 homes were rebuilt through the state&#8217;s HUD-funded Homeowner Recovery Program, with notable delays leaving over 1,100 homes unfinished when Cooper left office. The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >program faced lengthy eligibility determinations<\/a>, construction delays averaging four years, and poor communication with homeowners. Additionally, the audit cited widespread management and budgeting failures within the North carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR), an agency created by Cooper, contributing to a $300 million funding shortfall that required emergency legislative action.<\/p>\n<p>While Republicans use the audit to criticize Cooper for mismanagement and dishonesty, Cooper&#8217;s campaign disputes these claims, arguing the audit only covers one funding stream and ignores the broader recovery accomplishments. The campaign states that more than 13,000 homes were repaired or rebuilt via multiple funding sources and highlights repairs to infrastructure as well. Federal delays in releasing hurricane relief funds also contributed to slow recovery progress.<\/p>\n<p>The audit&#8217;s revelations come as Cooper campaigns for a U.S.Senate seat in North carolina&#8217;s competitive 2026 race, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nikki-haley-says-trump-cant-win-general-election-but-would-support-him-if-he-becomes-nominee\/\" title=\"Nikki Haley admits Trump&#039;s slim chances in general election, but pledges support if he secures nomination.\">early polls showing<\/a> him narrowly ahead of Republican contender Michael Whatley. The race features a crowded GOP primary field, including Trump-endorsed Whatley, while Cooper faces several Democratic challengers.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Roy Cooper&rsquo;s hurricane rebuilding efforts challenged by audit<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2450158\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A North Carolina <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.auditor.nc.gov\/documents\/reports\/performance\/per-2025-4902\/open\">state audit <\/a>is challenging former Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/roy-cooper\/\">Roy Cooper&rsquo;s<\/a> hurricane recovery claims by showing that only 3,522 homes were completed through the state&rsquo;s HUD-funded rebuilding program and that yearslong delays left more than 1,100 homes unfinished when he left office.<\/p>\n<p>The audit, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.auditor.nc.gov\/documents\/reports\/performance\/per-2025-4902\/open\">released by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor,<\/a> examined the state&rsquo;s Homeowner Recovery Program, which relied primarily on federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds following <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hurricane\/\">Hurricane <\/a>Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018. In March 2025, Cooper, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wral.com\/story\/nc-lawmakers-push-cooper-accountability-act-as-years-old-hurricane-relief-efforts-linger\/21891528\/\">said his administration <\/a>&ldquo;helped repair or rebuild more than 14,000 homes,&rdquo; a figure that extends beyond the HUD-funded program reviewed by auditors.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3918782\/trump-biden-confirmations-nuclear-senate-rule\/\">Trump laps Biden in confirmations&nbsp;after &#8216;nuclear&#8217; Senate rule change<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3925325\/thune-keeps-door-open-mike-johnson-gop-only-healthcare-push\/\">Thune keeps door open to Mike Johnson&rsquo;s GOP-only healthcare push<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3925580\/trump-to-sign-national-defense-authorization-act-on-thursday\/\">Trump to sign National Defense Authorization Act on Thursday<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Republicans said the audit is evidence of broader mismanagement.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Roy Cooper failed North Carolinians devastated by hurricanes and then rubbed salt in their wounds with horrible lies because he&rsquo;s desperate to avoid accountability,&rdquo; said Nick Puglia, a regional press secretary for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. &ldquo;Cooper is a career politician that North Carolinians cannot trust.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>A Cooper campaign spokesperson disputed the audit&rsquo;s conclusions, saying the report focuses on only one funding stream and does not reflect the broader scope of hurricane recovery efforts carried out under his administration.<\/p>\n<p>According to the audit, the rebuilding process was marked by significant delays at nearly every stage. Auditors found the state took an average of 138 days to determine applicant eligibility. Even after homeowners were deemed eligible, construction did not begin for an average of four years, leaving some families in temporary or unsafe housing long after the storms.<\/p>\n<p>The report found that some applicants remained in deteriorating or condemned homes while waiting for assistance, while others experienced long periods of uncertainty due to delayed or inconsistent communication from the state.<\/p>\n<p>Auditors also found that more than 1,100 homes tied to Hurricanes Matthew and Florence still required construction after Cooper left office. In January 2025, the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency requested an additional $217 million from the General Assembly to complete the remaining projects, nearly a decade after Hurricane Matthew struck the eastern part of the state.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Homeowner Recovery Program was overseen by the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rebuild.nc.gov\/about-us?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">an agency created by Cooper <\/a>in 2018 to centralize disaster recovery efforts. The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.ncleg.gov\/houseoversight\/2025\/07\/north-carolina-office-of-recovery-and-resiliency-unkept-promises-to-eastern-north-carolina\/\">audit cited <\/a>widespread management and budgeting failures within the agency, including unreliable data tracking, insufficient oversight of vendors, and the absence of accurate cost estimates. Those shortcomings contributed to a funding gap of approximately $300 million, necessitating emergency legislative action to keep projects moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>Auditors also found that NCORR staff were at times instructed not to issue formal ineligibility notifications or close cases, contributing to application backlogs and prolonged uncertainty for homeowners.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement provided to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, a Cooper campaign spokesperson disputed the audit&rsquo;s broader implications and said it presents an incomplete picture of hurricane recovery under his administration.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;After Hurricanes Florence and Matthew, the Cooper administration oversaw the repair and rebuilding of more than 13,000 homes from many different funding streams, even when the first Trump administration provided only about half of the funding that North Carolina needed,&rdquo; the spokesperson said. &ldquo;Meanwhile, FEMA recovery czar Michael Whatley has failed spectacularly, with hundreds calling for his resignation, Western communities waiting months for federal money they are owed, and absolutely nothing to show for his work leading the FEMA Review Council.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The campaign stated that the auditor&rsquo;s report focused solely on HUD-funded projects, which it described as just one source of recovery funding and typically the last portion of money used for rebuilding due to income eligibility requirements. The campaign stated that its broader total includes projects supported by HUD, as well as other federal programs, including CDBG-DR, FEMA, and funding administered through the Office of State Budget and Management, along with state, local, and volunteer organizations active in disaster recovery.<\/p>\n<p>The Cooper campaign also said recovery efforts extended beyond housing, citing hundreds of bridges, roads, and public buildings, including town halls and courthouses, that were repaired or rebuilt after the storms.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the campaign highlighted federal delays as a key factor slowing the recovery. Congress appropriated Hurricane Florence relief funding in October 2018, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-sen-warnock-used-campaign-funds-to-fight-personal-lawsuit-potentially-violating-federal-law\/\" title=\"Democrat Sen. Warnock Used Campaign ... to Fight Personal Lawsuit, Potentially Violating Federal Law\">federal rules governing<\/a> how the money could be spent were not finalized until January 2020, a delay of nearly 500 days. The campaign stated that Cooper pushed for reforms to permanently authorize the CDBG-DR program, aiming to reduce such delays, and argued that, if elected to the U.S. Senate, he would work to cut red tape and expedite the delivery of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-rejects-federal-disaster-assistance-for-ohio-town-impacted-by-toxic-train-derailment-report\/\" title=\"Biden Rejects Federal Disaster Assistance For Ohio Town Impacted By Toxic Train Derailment: Report\">federal disaster aid<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The audit&rsquo;s findings land as North Carolina&rsquo;s Senate race begins to take shape. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) is not seeking reelection in 2026, opening up a wide-open contest in the perennial swing state.<\/p>\n<p>Early polling shows Cooper with a narrow advantage. A <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/epolls\/2026\/senate\/nc\/2026_north_carolina_senate_whatley_vs_cooper-8753.html\">RealClearPolitics average<\/a> puts the Democrat ahead of Republican Michael Whatley 46.0% to 41.3%, a 4.7-point lead, with recent surveys consistently showing Cooper ahead by mid-single digits in what is expected to be a competitive race.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3481876\/north-carolina-senate-race-showdown-cooper-whatley-2026\/\"><strong>NORTH CAROLINA SENATE SHOWDOWN &lsquo;A TRUE TOSS-UP&rsquo; AS ROY COOPER AND MICHAEL WHATLEY INCH CLOSER TO 2026 BIDS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Republican primary field is continuing to take shape. Michele Morrow <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wfmynews2.com\/article\/news\/politics\/michele-morrow-enters-crowded-gop-field-in-north-carolina-senate-race\/83-7bb8e338-7de7-43d4-bf7e-1a11472ac916\">formally entered the race<\/a> on Thursday, joining a GOP contest led by former Republican National Committee Chairman Whatley, who President Donald Trump has endorsed. Other Republican candidates include Don Brown, Margot Dupree, Thomas Johnson, and Elizabeth Ann Temple.<\/p>\n<p>On the Democratic side, four candidates have filed, including Cooper, Daryl Farrow, Orrick Quick, and Marcus Williams. Libertarian Shannon Bray has also entered the race.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Audit questions Roy Cooper&#8217;s hurricane recovery claims<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2523478,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP24304588759609.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[50523,42246,32258,36558,35541],"class_list":["post-2523476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-audit-2","tag-hurricane-recovery","tag-north-carolina","tag-political-claims","tag-roy-cooper"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP24304588759609.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2523476"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523476\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2523484,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523476\/revisions\/2523484"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2523478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2523476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2523476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2523476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}