A timeline of Mike Causey’s sometimes-turbulent tenure as NC insurance chief

North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey, a Greensboro Republican now in his third term, has faced scrutiny over hiring and spending practices; clashes with state legislators; and most recently, complaints about his behavior with women. The following timeline traces events across his political career and time in office.

Here is a timeline of significant events:

1986-1992: A Mecklenburg County judge ordered Causey to pay child support to a woman who gave birth to his child while he was married to his current wife.

1992: Causey lost his first bid for insurance commissioner, followed by additional losses in 1996, 2000 and 2012.

2016: Causey won his first election, defeating Democrat Wayne Goodwin.

2017: In his first year in office, Causey hired April Taylor as a regional director covering roughly 15 counties, which increased her state pay more than 25% to nearly $52,000.

April 26, 2018: Causey texted Taylor “I might jump your bones. Watch out!!!” followed by a heart emoji, one of several messages Taylor later said made her feel uncomfortable.

Dec. 16, 2019: A former campaign worker told a private investigator in a recorded interview that Causey slid into the front passenger seat of her car and kissed her on the lips during his fifth run for insurance commissioner; she stopped helping his campaign.

March 5, 2020: Billionaire Greg Lindberg was convicted on public corruption and bribery charges after federal agents said he tried to bribe Causey while seeking decreased regulation of his insurance business. Causey cooperated with investigators and wore a wire, helping build his reputation as an honest politician. Causey won reelection the same year.

Nov. 3, 2023: Causey’s management practices drew criticism as records showed he had hired people with personal and political connections to regional director positions and relocated agency offices away from urban areas, The N&O reports. A former political rival admitted he was put in a ‘make-work’ job.

Nov. 14, 2023: Causey had to reinstate three top state fire marshal officials he tried to fire after state legislators stripped Causey of his state fire marshal role through the state budget. Causey said he had to reinstate them after then-Gov. Roy Cooper signed Senate Bill 409.

Jan. 16, 2024: The N&O reported that Causey hired a longtime friend and campaign supporter as a part-time employee who was driving him to events and earning as much as $84,000 in a year. Roger Blackwell received a $44-an-hour wage by being designated as a deputy commissioner.

Feb. 20, 2024 : Blackwell billed the state nearly $14,000 in travel costs over five years, including nearly $1,400 for a vehicle rental for a three-day insurance legislators’ conference in July 2022 in Jersey City, N.J., The N&O reports.

Nov. 5, 2024: Causey won a third term.

May 20, 2026 – Taylor told The N&O about Causey’s “inappropriate” behavior towards her and showed several text messages to back her claims. Causey said he had no recollection of the text exchanges.

June 15, 2026: The N.C. Department of Insurance said it had no “public” records responsive to a request for all texts between Causey and Taylor, The N&O reported. The response drew criticism from open government advocates.

June 17, 2026: The North Carolina State Ethics Commission dismissed a complaint brought by Taylor, concluding that the facts alleged would not constitute a violation of the Ethics Act.

October 2026: The former campaign worker’s 2019 interview with a private investigator became public, lending weight to Taylor’s sexual harassment complaint.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists, including investigative reporter Dan Kane and politics editor Jordan Schrader The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.

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