Harvey Lee West was the Chair of the North Carolina 1st Congressional District Republicans. He was the moderator of the debate for the Dare County Republican candidates for school board in January 2026. This caused concern as he pleaded guilty to raping children back in 2000.
When he was a police officer in Washington, North Carolina, he was arrested for the statutory rape of three girls, two were fourteen and one was sixteen. He pleaded guilty to 16 counts of “indecent liberties,” a lesser charge. He claims he only pleaded guilty because the risk of statutory rape convictions carried decades in prison. He served six years in prison for raping three minor children. Now he claims he was innocent.
“There’s no way you can defend yourself [against such charges]” he said. “This is who I am, and this is what happened to me,” he told the Associated Press.
It’s useful to remember he was a police officer. The jury would weigh his credibility as a sworn officer of the law against three children. Take that into account when he claims he was innocent and it was “what happened to me.” He thinks he is the victim.
In addition to being Chair of the First District Republicans, he was also appointed to the party’s rule-making committee. He and his wife founded a judicial race fundraising picnic that has come to wield considerable power and statewide participation.
- Outer Banks Insider: Community voices concern after GOP 1st Congressional District chair, previously convicted of multiple sexual crimes against children, moderates Dare GOP board of ed candidate forum
- Asheville Watchdog: Democracy Watch: Links between convicted sex offender, state GOP leadership may complicate candidacies
March 20, 2026
What a total crock of the proverbial! Now saying he was innocent!!! Old mate, you aren’t the victim! You KNEW if you’d gone before a judge and jury so chose instead to plead guilty “to lesser charges”. You’d likely still be in jail if justice had been properly applied. What is wrong with these men!