Former NC Governor Appoints Convicted Murderer to Justice Task Force

Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat now seeking a seat in the Senate, appointed Kerwin Pittman to lead his "Racial Equity in Criminal Justice" task force back in 2020. This move came shortly after George Floyd died and sparked national outrage. The Washington Free Beacon reported that Cooper issued an executive order to establish the panel, filling it with state officials and community activists. Josh Stein, who served as state attorney general before becoming governor, took charge of the group.

Pittman's history is far from clean. Records obtained by the Free Beacon show he was convicted in 2007 for conspiracy to commit murder after serving fourteen years behind bars. Prosecutors once labeled him a "ranking member of the Bloods," a notorious gang. He faced trial alongside Michael Contrez Jones, another gang member. Pittman's crimes also included a 2006 drive-by shooting that killed nineteen-year-old Jamel Amiens Jeffreys.

When confronted with these facts, Pittman offered his own defense to the Free Beacon. He argued he was selected for his "lived experience" and current work in communities. "I have never hidden my past," Pittman stated. "The gang involvement and criminal conduct you reference occurred when I was a teenager and young man, at or before the age of 19. I am now 39 years old." He claimed he made poor decisions as a youth that led to over a decade in prison. At the time of his appointment, Pittman worked for Emancipate NC. The Free Beacon noted this organization has frequently pushed for police abolition, once writing in a 2023 blog post that "maintaining white supremacy has always been the goal of policing."

Cooper is currently running against Michael Whatley, the former chair of the Republican National Committee. When asked to address the controversy, Cooper's campaign pointed directly at his opponent's record. A statement sent to Fox News Digital read: "While Roy spent his career putting rapists and violent criminals behind bars and signing tough on crime laws as governor, Michael Whatley spent his appointing a convicted child sex predator who served six years in prison and spent over a decade as a registered sex offender to a top role within the North Carolina Republican Party that gave him access to events with children."

Pittman and the Whatley campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. The story highlights how Cooper's administration selected individuals with significant criminal backgrounds for high-profile reform roles, drawing sharp criticism from his political rivals who claim it shows hypocrisy on matters of public safety and justice.