Monroe launches probe into allegations involving councilman, 15-year-old boy
The Monroe City Council voted 6-1 Tuesday to launch an ethics investigation into councilman Gary Anderson over unspecified allegations involving a minor.
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The incident, which was not described in detail, has been referred to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Crimes against Children unit, according to Monroe city records. Monroe Mayor Robert Burns on Tuesday made the motion to open a city investigation into the incident to determine if the alleged conduct violates the city’s ethics policy – not criminality. “The allegations are very serious in nature, allegedly involving a minor is something that everyone should be concerned about, and as a dad, as I have said in the report, as a concerned parent, the allegations themselves alarm me,” Burns told The Charlotte Observer. “I think that we should get to the bottom of what actually happened.”
Records obtained by The Charlotte Observer show a 15-year-old boy contacted CMPD’s non-emergency line on May 23 to report an incident at a south Charlotte barbershop that “caused him concern.” The case was assigned to the department’s Crimes Against Children Unit. Although the report does not identify Anderson by name or describe the allegations in detail, The Charlotte Observer confirmed it is the incident Monroe officials viewed before approving the investigation.
Anderson, a Republican, lost his primary race this year and will not serve another term on the council. At Tuesday’s meeting, Anderson said he would not comment on the allegations or the investigation except to say it was “baseless.”
“I will just say this – it is a baseless claim. There have been no charges filed whatsoever and I am not going to answer any more questions or subject myself to this political theater,” Anderson said.
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Anderson was the lone dissenting vote Tuesday. Burns told the Observer prior to the meeting that city officials had received information from law enforcement that led him to believe the allegations were credible and warranted investigation. The allegations are “substantiated,” he said, and are “not rumors.”
“We’re not here to dictate if something is criminal,” he said. “We’re here to determine if the allegations, regardless of criminality, are ethical, and if they break our code of ethics.”
An independent investigator for the city will review reports, records, communications, witness statements and other information related to the allegations.
Burns, a Republican who has filed to run for governor in 2028, said the investigation is not politically motivated. “Any mention of this being politically motivated is foolish,” he said. “I don’t care what party you are or anything. Something like this, people need to be held accountable for.”
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