Exclusive – Michael Whatley: Democrat Opponent Roy Cooper Released Violent Criminals into Communities

Downloaded May 4, 2026
Allen G. Breed/AP

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D), vying for the state’s U.S. Senate seat, released violent criminals into the community and tried to keep it under wraps, Republican Senate hopeful Michael Whatley explained during an appearance on Breitbart News Daily.

Whatley made the case that his opponent Roy Cooper is actually “pro-crime,” noting that the Democrat not only marched with protesters in 2020 as Black Lives Matter and Antifa were burning down cities, but he also released 3,500 “hardened criminals out of the North Carolina prisons, including murderers and rapists, assaults, and really, truly unleashed these people back on the American people.”

These soft-on-crime policies, which see leftists literally releasing criminals, resulted in the vicious murder of Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska, who was murdered on a North Carolina commuter train, allegedly by Decarlos Brown, Jr., who had been arrested and released more than a dozen times.

“The fact is that he [Roy Cooper] released 51 people who were serving life sentences at the time. The fact is that he released hundreds of violent criminals, rapists, pedophiles. I mean, it was, it was really a horrific list of people that he released at the time,” the former Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman said.

“And I think as the voters of North Carolina continue to hear more about the victims that he created by releasing these people from prison, that’s going to be a real problem. You know, the number one function of any government is to protect its citizens, and Roy Cooper was an abject failure at that,” he added, reminding listeners of Cooper’s past.

“Go back to February of 2021, and Roy Cooper had been sued by the ACLU and the NAACP, and so he agreed with them and signed a settlement,” Whatley explained, as host Mike Slater added context.

“Because it’s cruel and unusual punishment to have people in jail during COVID because they might get sick. Was that the premise of it?” Slater asked.

“That’s exactly right,” Whatley replied. “And so in order to make sure that these guys did not get COVID while they were in prison, he released 3,500.”

Then, Whatley continued, Cooper placed the list under court order, sealing it so no one could see it, but assuring the North Carolinian people that no violent criminals were released. However, the North Carolina legislature has since been able to secure that list, which did include violent criminals after all. Over 50 were serving life sentences.

“Roy Cooper owes the people of North Carolina an explanation. Not just why did he sign off on this, you know, instead of fight it. … How did those prisoners get picked? … How do you explain the fact that these people were released just because of COVID?” the Republican Senate candidate asked.

“I’m glad to hear that the legislature in the House and Senate in North Carolina are both opening up hearings where they’re going to be investigating this,” Whatley added. “I believe they’re going to call in, you know, people from Cooper’s administration, as well as Cooper himself, to offer an explanation for how this possibly could have happened in North Carolina.”

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