Investigation into Dale Folwell’s use of state vehicle as NC treasurer ends with no charges
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said Monday an investigation into former Treasurer Dale Folwell’s use of a state vehicle has concluded with no charges being filed.
Freeman said her office has requested the investigation “be closed without further action” after the probe found Folwell’s use of the state-owned vehicle assigned to him resulted in some infractions of policies governing the state’s fleet of public vehicles, but was “insufficient to support a successful criminal prosecution.”
In a statement, Freeman said Folwell fully cooperated with the probe that was launched last year by the State Bureau of Investigation, including by participating in a “lengthy and detailed interview” with SBI agents.
She said Folwell has also reimbursed the state $6,223.60 for commuting costs he should have been charged, and mileage driven that was outside the scope of what is allowed under state policy.
Folwell told The News & Observer in a statement Monday that his staff at the Office of State Treasurer had been involved with the review of his use of the state vehicle for more than three years, and had spent hundreds of hours on it.
Folwell said his office cooperated and communicated through emails and phone calls with the N.C. Department of Administration, which oversees the Division of Motor Fleet Management, which in turn manages and assigns vehicles to elected officials and state employees for public use. He said his office asked for guidance and a report on their compliance review, but didn’t receive it. He said the responses he did get were “rare and confusing.”
The former treasurer, who served two terms after first being elected in 2016, said he learned details of the investigation through news reports in June 2024. Folwell chose not to run for reelection last year, opting instead to run for the Republican nomination for governor, losing to former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson.
“Based on my visual observation, I was the only member of the N.C. Council of State who drove themselves to Council meetings in a state vehicle with a tracker, no driver and no security,” Folwell said. “That was least costly to taxpayers.”
Folwell said he was the only person who ever filled gas in his assigned vehicle, or washed it.
“Vehicle assignments are made with the intent to be efficient, productive, accessible 24/7, and to apply common sense,” Folwell said. “This was evident by the fact that I kept 2 extra cars and a motorcycle in Raleigh for 8 years to use for personal travel.”
Folwell thanked Freeman “for being the ONLY public official in this process who actually took the time to learn, look and listen,” adding that “it was an honor to to serve the citizens of N.C.”
Investigators found insufficient evidence to support charges
Freeman said in her statement that she requested the assistance of the SBI in investigating allegations of Folwell misusing his state-assigned vehicle after reviewing a compliance audit conducted by Motor Fleet Management.
Investigators examined Folwell’s use of the vehicle between July 2022 and February 2024. They analyzed location data from the vehicle and compared it to Folwell’s daily calendar.
The data showed that Folwell had traveled throughout the state to deliver funds to various agencies and individuals under the Department State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Division, and to raise awareness of the program.
In December 2022, Folwell traveled to Brevard to deliver a check to the Haven of Transylvania County, a nonprofit that manages two homeless shelters. Other travel included routine trips across the state to speak to civic groups, and attending the 2023 Public Funds Forum in South Carolina.
Freeman said location data showed that during those trips, Folwell “made a number of route detours that could be classified as personal in nature.”
“However, upon examination, these appeared to be de minimis from the travel route, and while against motor fleet management policy, were insufficient to support a successful criminal prosecution,” Freeman said.
Investigators also found that Folwell had received an email from Motor Fleet Management in October 2020 that led him to believe he wasn’t required to maintain travel logs, which is why logs weren’t maintained during the period that was reviewed.
In January 2024, the Department of Administration issued a revised Motor Fleet Management Manual “that clarified a number of policies regarding the assignment and use of state-owned vehicles,” Freeman said.
This story was originally published January 27, 2025 at 4:38 PM with the headline "Investigation into Dale Folwell’s use of state vehicle as NC treasurer ends with no charges."
