Anonymous post describes ‘unruly’ NC lawmakers at distillery. Here’s what we know.

An anonymous social media post over the weekend claimed that a group of North Carolina politicians were drunk and disruptive during a tour of a distillery in Kentucky.

The post caused a stir in political circles, but officials questioned about the post Monday didn’t have answers about what happened.

In a Reddit post titled “Disappointing behavior from NC legislators,” a Reddit user identifying themselves as a “representative” of a Kentucky distillery wrote that the facility recently hosted a group of 33 people from North Carolina, including legislators and government officials.

The post’s author wrote that the group arrived an hour late and “already inebriated from drinking bourbon on the bus” and that it was “marked by loud, unruly conduct that disrupted other guests and tarnished the atmosphere we work hard to maintain.”

The Reddit post quickly circulated in the North Carolina political world over the weekend, with one lawmaker on Monday saying they had received a call about it. But The News & Observer was unable to reach the Reddit user or immediately confirm their account of what happened, and could not reach the distillery mentioned in the post.

North Carolina Republican Party spokesperson Matt Mercer told The N&O on Monday that, “the quick answer is that I have seen the posts and can confirm it was not an NCGOP event or affiliated with the state party.”

Mercer referred questions to Greater Carolina, a free-market, conservative group, without giving details about how the group was connected. A call to Greater Carolina from The N&O has not yet been returned.

State House Minority Leader Robert Reives said he understood that some members of the House Alcohol Beverage Control Committee were invited to the event. The N&O has contacted several members of the committee to learn more.

N.C. Rep. Jason Saine, a Lincolnton Republican who serves on the committee, told The N&O in a text on Monday that “I don’t respond to anonymous posts on the internet.”

The Reddit user wrote: “What was perhaps most disturbing was their lack of accountability for their actions. Despite being extremely rude, disruptive, not tipping the bartenders and tour guides, and even VOMITING in our bathroom sinks, not a single apology was offered…despite our efforts to provide them with a pleasant experience by preparing cocktails and offering tastings,” the post continued.

The event may have been attended by Republicans. Reives, a Chatham County Democrat, said his understanding was that some members of the committee were invited, but the Democrats on the committee were not.

“I’ve got no evidence that any Democrats — definitely no evidence any went — but even beyond that, I don’t know anything about (the event itself),” Reives said, adding that he heard about the event the same time as everybody else did.

Reives said it’s hard to comment on “what did or didn’t happen” since the Reddit poster did not share their name or the name of legislators on the trip.

Lawmakers have questions

Two Republican House lawmakers at the Legislative Building on Monday, Rep. Donna McDowell White and Rep. Howard Penny, said they were not present for the alleged incident and knew no details.

Asked who had been involved, if this trip was for state business and more, White said she didn’t know about it, while Penny said he “did get a call last night saying that had happened but I do not know who was there.”

He said the person who called him was not a lawmaker but somebody asking him if he had heard about the incident.

”The only thing I would say is that is not the reflection we would have wanted to have on North Carolina,” Penny said.

Senate leader Phil Berger said Monday he “saw the post. I don’t know any details. Obviously we’ll be asking some questions, but I do not know anything about it.”

He also said he did not know whether Senate members had been involved.

North Carolina Republican House Caucus Director Stephen Wiley declined to comment to The N&O on Monday morning.

Avi Bajpai contributed to this report.