Rowan County Commissioner Candidate Charged with Stalking, Calls Allegations "Attack on Journalism"

Josh Harrington denies claims, says he was just doing his job as an independent journalist investigating misconduct.

Feb. 4, 2026 at 11:31pm

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Rowan County Board of Commissioners candidate Josh Harrington was charged with stalking a Mooresville police officer on Tuesday. Harrington denies the allegations, calling them an "attack on independent journalism" and plans to file a lawsuit in return, alleging abuse of process, defamation, and malicious prosecution.

Why it matters

The charges against Harrington raise concerns about freedom of the press and the ability of journalists to investigate potential misconduct by public officials without facing retaliation. As a commissioner candidate, the outcome of this case could impact Harrington's political future.

The details

The stalking charge stems from a private warrant taken out by the Mooresville officer, alleging that Harrington made false complaints to her employer, posted about her on Facebook, sent her Facebook messages, tracked down her coworkers to get information about her, and made multiple postings about her and her family. Harrington says he was simply doing research for a podcast report and only sent one Facebook message to the officer asking for a comment. He also says he did not seek out the Mooresville officers, but happened to notice them at a gas station while he was passing through on his way home.

  • On Tuesday evening, Harrington was charged with stalking the Mooresville police officer.
  • On Wednesday, Harrington spoke out against the allegations in a phone call.

The players

Josh Harrington

A Rowan County Board of Commissioners candidate who was charged with stalking a Mooresville police officer, which he denies and calls an "attack on independent journalism".

Christopher Adkins

Harrington's attorney, who released a statement on his behalf regarding the stalking charge.

Mooresville police officer

The officer who took out a private warrant alleging that Harrington stalked her.

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What they’re saying

“A misdemeanor stalking charge has been filed against Josh Harrington based on alleged public statements concerning an already-existing law-enforcement misconduct issue involving a Mooresville detective and a Catawba County Sheriff's Office sergeant. The substance of the information Mr. Harrington discussed did not originate with him and had circulated within law-enforcement channels well before this charge was filed.”

— Christopher Adkins, Harrington's attorney

“It's really not a complicated case. I'm a journalist and all I did was ask questions.”

— Josh Harrington

What’s next

Harrington plans to file a lawsuit alleging abuse of process, defamation, and malicious prosecution in response to the stalking charge.

The takeaway

This case highlights the tension between journalism and law enforcement, and the challenges journalists can face when investigating potential misconduct by public officials. The outcome could have implications for press freedom and Harrington's political future.