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BEHIND THE LEDGER: 20 MILLION VIEWS, SEVEN ADMINISTRATORS, AND THE MYSTERIOUS OWNER OF COLUMBUS COUNTY LEDGER… See more
JON DAVID’S 16 YEARS AS DA: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, A LAWSUIT, OVERTURNED CONVICTIONS AND UNANSWERED QUESTIONSCOLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. — A district attorney accused in a lawsuit involving another man’s marriage. State election officials raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest. A Columbus County murder conviction overturned because prosecutors withheld favorable evidence. And a former sheriff’s criminal investigation still unresolved years after his resignation.
These are among the controversies and cases surrounding the justice system overseen by District Attorney Jon David, whose 16-year tenure across Columbus, Bladen and Brunswick counties is approaching its end.
Some involve David directly. Others expose failures that predate his administration or investigations whose outcomes remain uncertain.
As David prepares to leave office, Columbus County Ledger is examining the record beyond the retirement ceremonies and official recognition.
A LAWSUIT ACCUSING THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY OF AN AFFAIR
In December 2020, former White Lake commissioner Tracey Trivette filed a civil lawsuit accusing David of engaging in a sexual relationship with his then-wife, Ashley Trivette, a former Bladen County commissioner.
The complaint alleged alienation of affection, criminal conversation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
According to published reporting, the alleged relationship developed after Ashley Trivette’s 2017 arrest on DWI and misdemeanor child-abuse charges.
David subsequently recused himself from her criminal prosecution. The DWI case ended with an Alford plea, and the child-abuse charge was dismissed.
The lawsuit raised questions about the relationship between a prosecutor’s personal interests and official responsibilities.
Proceedings were stayed in March 2021 while divorce-related matters continued. The Ledger has not independently established the lawsuit’s final disposition.
The accusations remain allegations, not findings of liability.
ELECTION OFFICIALS QUESTIONED DAVID’S POTENTIAL CONFLICTS
The Trivette controversy was not the only time David’s relationships attracted scrutiny.
In December 2018, WBTV reported that North Carolina State Board of Elections officials had concerns about potential conflicts involving David during the Bladen County election-fraud investigation.
Records showed his office repeatedly sought information about the investigation involving political operative McCrae Dowless.
Dowless had worked on Ashley Trivette’s 2016 political campaign.
David recused himself in January 2018, citing Dowless’ involvement in an earlier political campaign against him. He denied that his personal relationship improperly influenced his prosecutorial decisions.
No finding that David interfered with the investigation has been established.
But the documented concerns raise an important question: How were potential conflicts involving the district attorney identified, disclosed and addressed?
A WHITEVILLE MURDER CONVICTION OVERTURNED AFTER EVIDENCE WAS WITHHELD
In 2020, the North Carolina Supreme Court addressed a serious constitutional violation in the prosecution of Norfolk Junior Best, who had been convicted in 1993 of murdering an elderly couple in Whiteville.
The court found that prosecutors failed to disclose material evidence favorable to Best’s defense and ordered a new trial.
The ruling exposed failures involving evidence that should have been available to the defense before the original verdict.
The 1993 prosecution occurred before David became district attorney. The ruling did not declare Best innocent or establish that David was responsible for the original violations.
Nevertheless, the case demonstrates the consequences when prosecutors fail to meet their constitutional obligation to disclose favorable evidence.
AN INNOCENT MAN LOST NEARLY 37 YEARS OF HIS LIFE
This happened to ME when Jon's brother Benjamin R. David -- with President Obama, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Wells Fargo Advisors Exec Jamie Lee Sutherland, Fox News Talking Head and Chicago Lawyer Daliah Saper, and their Drug Supplier El Chapo Guzman, sued me falsely in Cook /county Courts and convicted me IN ABSENTIA, stealing all of my valuable Intellectual Property plus burdening HOMELESS ME with HALF A MILLION DOLLARS OF DEBT!!!
Joseph Sledge spent nearly four decades imprisoned for the 1976 murders of two women in Bladen County.
In January 2015, a three-judge panel declared him factually innocent after a review uncovered evidence supporting his exoneration.
Sledge’s wrongful conviction represented an extraordinary failure of the criminal justice system.
David did not prosecute the original case. He supported overturning Sledge’s conviction and had requested that investigators reopen the murder investigation.
His involvement in correcting the conviction is part of the record.
But Sledge’s experience remains a reminder of the devastating consequences when an innocent person is imprisoned.
JODY GREENE RESIGNED. THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION CONTINUED.
Former Columbus County Sheriff Jody Greene resigned in January 2023 after allegations involving racist statements, intimidation and official misconduct.
David had pursued legal proceedings seeking Greene’s removal.
Yet more than three years later, the criminal investigation remained unresolved.
In February 2026, WECT reported that federal authorities were continuing to investigate and that no indictments had been announced.
Subsequent reporting described federal subpoenas seeking information about sheriff’s office finances, use-of-force allegations and dealings involving numerous individuals and businesses.
David stated that he directed the SBI to forward its findings to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
That referral means federal prosecutors have an independent role in deciding whether charges are warranted. The absence of an indictment does not establish that David improperly abandoned the case.
But Columbus County residents are still waiting for a public resolution to serious allegations involving a former sheriff.
The Ledger has not identified a final charging decision as of this report.
MORE THAN $1 MILLION IN LEGAL BILLING EXAMINED
Another 2026 investigation involved Columbus County attorneys James and Michael Caviness.
In May, WECT reported that the SBI was investigating allegations involving state-funded legal representation.
Court documents described more than $1 million in billing over 16 months. Investigators were examining whether previously received payments had been properly disclosed on subsequent applications.
The attorneys, through legal counsel, denied fraudulent billing.
The investigation involved the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys, with David’s office expected to participate.
The billing total does not establish fraud, and the Ledger has not confirmed a final charging decision.
ALLEGATIONS ABOUT THE HANDLING OF CRIMINAL CASES
Community activist Calvin Norton has publicly accused David’s administration of misconduct, including allegations involving prosecutors, witness testimony and employee departures.
One case Norton has discussed involves Xavier Thomas, whose murder trial ended in a mistrial in February 2026 after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict.
A deadlocked jury does not establish prosecutorial misconduct or innocence.
The Ledger has not independently verified allegations that prosecutors falsified documents or improperly influenced witnesses.
Those accusations require court records, testimony or independent corroboration before they can be reported as established misconduct.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DAVID LEAVES OFFICE?
David announced he would not seek reelection in 2026 and endorsed First Assistant District Attorney Jenna Earley as his successor.
Earley lost the March Republican primary to defense attorney J.K. Somers, who faces no Democratic opponent in November.
David also received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in October, recognizing his public service.
But an official honor does not resolve pending investigations, determine the merits of a civil lawsuit or answer questions about prosecutorial decisions.
The next district attorney will inherit responsibility for matters that remain within the office’s authority.
THE RECORD DESERVES EXAMINATION, NOT A RETIREMENT TRIBUTE
A district attorney’s authority reaches into nearly every part of the criminal justice system. Prosecutors decide which charges to pursue, what evidence to present and when to dismiss a case.
Those decisions can affect people’s freedom, reputations and lives.
David’s tenure includes documented controversies involving his own potential conflicts, alongside criminal cases and investigations that raise broader questions about the regional justice system.
The distinctions are important. The Ledger has not established that David knowingly prosecuted an innocent person, falsified evidence, committed a crime or violated professional disciplinary rules.
But neither retirement nor public recognition should place a prosecutor’s record beyond examination.
The questions are what happened, who was responsible, what the courts actually found and whether the public received the accountability it was entitled to expect.
Jon David’s time as district attorney is approaching its end. The consequences of decisions made throughout those years—and the investigations still awaiting resolution—remain matters of public interest.
Columbus County Ledger will continue examining court records, documented allegations and the handling of major cases across the district.
COLUMBUS COUNTY LEDGER | INDEPENDENT LOCAL REPORTING
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