CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Amid last year's fallout from House Bill 2, then-Gov. Pat McCrory repeatedly expressed concerns to his staff about media coverage and showed exasperation with criticism he faced from the left and the right, according to new internals emails obtained by the Charlotte Observer.
The thousands of pages of emails show the governor strongly reacting to news stories about the controversial legislation, many of which were critical of McCrory's role. One email even shows a staff member for state House Speaker Tim Moore, a fellow Republican, sharing a link to a "Saturday Night Live" skit making fun of the governor and calling it "hilarious."
Other messages show members of the governor's staff sending McCrory positive notes praising his stance on the legislation.
McCrory signed HB2 into law March 23 to overturn a Charlotte ordinance that extended legal protections for LGBT individuals, including the ability to use the restroom that matched their gender identity. Among its provisions, HB2 requires transgender people in government-run buildings to use restrooms that correspond with the gender on their birth certificates, a move McCrory has said was necessary to protect privacy.
The law spurred a backlash from sports organizations, businesses and performers who have called it discriminatory. In November, McCrory lost a narrow gubernatorial race to Democrat Roy Cooper. Efforts to repeal the law have so far failed.
The Observer sued McCrory for emails related to HB2 in October, after his office failed to respond to a records request filed in April. Since the lawsuit, the governor's office has been disclosing batches of emails that provide insight on the governor's thinking about the law and the resulting backlash.
The latest emails, received by the Observer last week, show numerous examples of McCrory emailing staff members about news articles that he contended were not balanced or failed to contain his office's perspective.
On April 12, for example, McCrory forwarded to spokesman Josh Ellis a Washington Post article that said "North Carolina's bathroom law just keeps on backfiring on Pat McCrory." The governor added a comment: "Bs."
Three days later, McCrory forwarded to spokesman Graham Wilson an ABC News story that said the NBA was mulling moving its All-Star game from Charlotte over the law.
"Get ABC to mention bathrooms!!!!!" McCrory wrote in the email. "Yes sir will do," Wilson replied.
A month later, after CNN wrote a story about hackers targeting the state's web sites over the bill, McCrory emailed Ellis again: "We need to respond to cnn that these terrorist groups do not merrit (sic) publishing agenda."
That month McCrory also forwarded to Moore, the House Speaker, and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger a story about how the Atlantic Coast Conference was discussing the bill at a meeting in Florida. McCrory made no comment in the email. In September, the ACC pulled events from the state, including the football championship in Charlotte.
In a number of the emails, McCrory indicated his displeasure with groups that expressed concern over the bill or canceled events in the state. In June, he messaged state Commerce Secretary John Skvarla after a group called off a conference in Chapel Hill.
"We need to call these groups out for hypocrisy," McCrory wrote. "Look up there (sic) membership and executive committee. Have your team send me info asap."
On July 8, the governor forwarded a story about big businesses opposing HB2 to Skvarla, his general counsel Bob Stephens and Ellis.
"Where is our equal response," McCrory wrote. "We cannot let there (sic) argument go unchallenged. They are attacking our state! No balance. Inconsistent application and hypocritical attacks. !!!! Pat."
After USA Today wrote a story in which Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski called HB2 "embarrassing," the governor forwarded the piece to Skvarla and Ellis.
"We need to get right facts out there. 21 other states," he wrote, referencing other states that opposed a federal mandate that transgender individuals be allowed to use the public bathrooms that matches their sexual identity or lose federal money. "Bathrooms showers etc. call USA today."
At the beginning of July, the legislature adjourned without repealing HB2, but it did restore the ability to sue in state courts over discrimination. Responding to an article that said the law was staying largely intact, McCrory wrote Ellis: "This is major change."
As the session ended, the NBA had pulled its support from an effort to find a legislative compromise over HB2, a strong signal that the league was likely to pull the All-Star Game planned for Charlotte in February.
On June 30, the governor's assistant forwarded an email critical of the NBA to McCrory from a Charlotte resident named Bob Stultz: "Pat, please tell the NBA to go to hell. They don't run our state, we do. Let's not sell our integrity for one basketball game."
McCrory forwarded the email to his chief of staff, Thomas Stith, adding: "They did throw us under bus big time. Happy 4th."
On July 21, the NBA officially said it was moving the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte, while holding out hope it could return in 2019 if changes to the law were made. After an anti-HB2 group blamed McCrory for losing the game, McCrory complained about the headline on the story.
"They give headline to unknown group and not gov," he wrote.
A number of emails show the governor receiving flak from HB2 supporters as well its opponents.
On April 8, Andy Munn, then the deputy chief of staff for Speaker Moore, forwarded an email to his boss and others in the Speaker's office. It contained a link to a "Saturday Night Live" skit that a WCNC story said appeared only on Facebook.
"I passed a new law for you and me so trans people can't watch kids pee," an actor playing McCrory says in a parody rap song.
"This is hilarious," Munn wrote in the email. Moore forwarded the email to Fred Steen, McCrory's legislative liaison, without comment. Munn, who now works for a law firm, did not respond to a request for comment.
In another email, McCrory forwarded to Charlotte Hornets president Fred Whitfield a story that said the religious right was unhappy with changes the governor had made to HB2 through an executive order.
"Now right is mad too," McCrory wrote. "I love this job."
On a number of occasions, staff members sent supportive notes to McCrory and his wife, Ann, amid the barrage of criticism.
In May, Skvarla sent an email saying he had talked with Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam a day earlier.
"He said hello and thanked you for strong leadership on HB2," Skvarla wrote. "Don't work too hard this week end. Try to play golf at least once!"
In another email that month, McCrory's assistant, Lisa Frazier, passed along a constituent email praising a McCrory TV appearance.
Added Frazier: "With my family yesterday, and it was never more obvious... Mom's (sic) all across North Carolina (and dads, too) echo these sentiments. So proud of you!"
Days later, Ann McCrory's chief of staff sent an email to the first lady with a link to another TV appearance by the governor.
"Gov correcting the anchor and staying strong," Kristen Sebastian wrote.
