Abuse of Power: Sean Keenan’s Election Protests Tarnish Kinston’s Democracy

GOP Chairman’s three protests expose manipulation, misuse of private records, and demand State Bar scrutiny

The Kinston municipal election was not defined by the will of the people, but by the actions of GOP Chairman and attorney Sean Keenan. In one cycle, he filed three separate election protests, each riddled with defects, each bending the rules, and each eroding public trust.

Keenan’s first move was a late candidate challenge, filed after the statutory deadline set by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163‑127.2. Instead of dismissing it outright, the Board improperly converted it into an election protest and stayed it until after the election. This maneuver undermined the very safeguards meant to protect candidates and voters.

Next came an improper protest against Les Lipford. Rather than rejecting it, the Board allowed Keenan to amend his filing — amendments made only after he was indirectly given legal advice on how to word his protest so it could move forward. This is not democracy; it is manipulation.

The Question of Private Documents

Perhaps most disturbing is Keenan’s use of financial and loan documents in his filings — information that is not public record. How was he able to obtain such private material? This raises grave concerns about whether confidential data was accessed or misused, and whether citizens’ rights were violated in the process. The Board of Elections should never have entertained evidence of such questionable origin.

Collapse of Integrity

By filing three protests in one election, Keenan turned a legal safeguard into a political weapon. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163‑182.9, protests must be timely, clear, and grounded. His filings were none of these. They were tactics designed to harass, distort, and intimidate.

This is not the conduct of a man defending fairness. It is the conduct of a party chairman abusing power. It is a collapse of moral integrity in Kinston’s election process.

Demand for Accountability

I will take every measure known to man to have Sean Keenan investigated by the North Carolina State Bar. This community must ask whether he has misrepresented the very people he is supposed to fight for, as he has instead tried to undermine candidates and voters in this election.

 Can Attorneys Access Your Financial Records?

Financial privacy is one of the most sensitive rights Americans hold. Yet many citizens wonder: can an attorney investigate your house loans, bank accounts, or overall financial stability? The answer is complex — attorneys can access such records, but only under specific legal circumstances.

Legal Protections

• Right to Financial Privacy Act (RFPA, 1978): This federal law protects personal financial records held by banks. Government agencies must provide notice and obtain consent or a court order before accessing them.

• Bank Records and Privacy Laws: Banks cannot simply hand over your financial information to a lawyer without a subpoena or your written authorization.

• Court Proceedings: In civil cases (like divorce or debt disputes), attorneys often request financial records through mandatory disclosures or subpoenas. Both parties may be required to exchange documents such as mortgage statements, bank records, and loan agreements.

  
  

When Attorneys Can Access Your Records

• With Your Consent: If you sign a release form, your attorney can request records directly from your bank or lender.

• Through Subpoena or Court Order: If you are involved in litigation, opposing counsel may subpoena your financial records. Banks must comply if the subpoena is valid.

• Mandatory Disclosure Rules: In family law or financial disputes, courts often require both sides to disclose assets, debts, and income.

  
  

When They Cannot

• No Lawsuit, No Cause: If you are not involved in a legal case, an attorney has no right to access your private loan or financial records.

• No Consent: Without your authorization, banks cannot release your information to a lawyer.

• Fishing Expeditions: Attorneys cannot simply “dig” into your finances without a legitimate legal reason. Doing so would violate privacy protections and could lead to disciplinary action.

  
  

Conclusion

Attorneys can only access your house loans and financial stability records with cause — either through your consent, a subpoena, or mandatory disclosure in a lawsuit. Without these, your financial privacy is protected by law.

This raises important questions for communities: when attorneys introduce private loan documents into election protests or political disputes, how did they obtain them? If such records were accessed without proper legal authority, it may represent a serious breach of privacy and ethics — one that deserves investigation by oversight bodies like the State Bar.

How Citizens Can Report Misconduct

If you believe this represents a breach of democracy or misconduct by an attorney, you can file a grievance with the North Carolina State Bar:

• Grievance Form: Available on the State Bar’s official site here.

• Phone: Call the State Bar at 919‑828‑4620 for assistance.

• What to Include: Provide the attorney’s name, describe the conduct you believe is wrong, and include your contact information. You don’t need to cite statutes — just explain clearly what happened.

• Standing: Any member of the public can file a grievance if they have a connection to the matter or believe misconduct occurred.

  
  

The State Bar’s role is to investigate and, when appropriate, discipline attorneys who violate the Rules of Professional Conduct. Filing a grievance is a direct way for citizens to demand accountability when lawyers abuse their power.

Kinston deserves better. We deserve elections conducted with fairness, transparency, and respect for the law — not a political circus orchestrated by ambition and manipulation. Until these abuses are addressed, the legitimacy of our elections will remain in question, and public trust will continue to erode.