Stein pulls Smythe Nomination After Senate Standoff, Audit Scrutiny

Gov. Josh Stein has withdrawn Jeffrey Smythe’s nomination to permanently lead the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, ending a more than seven-month confirmation standoff with the state Senate.

Stein appointed Smythe as his senior adviser for homeland security and named DPS Chief of Staff Casandra Hoekstra interim secretary.

The leadership change comes just weeks after a state audit identified $97.3 million in financial reporting errors and weaknesses in internal controls at DPS.

The audit does not accuse Jeff Smythe personally of wrongdoing, but the findings raise questions about management and oversight of an agency responsible for emergency management, corrections, juvenile justice and other public-safety functions.

The change also comes as law enforcement agencies across Western North Carolina continue dealing with staffing shortages, jail capacity concerns and the demands of Hurricane Helene recovery.

Smythe, a former Burlington police chief, became DPS secretary in January. His nomination never received a public Senate confirmation hearing.

Stein blamed the Senate for the impasse, saying lawmakers failed to fulfill their responsibility by refusing to consider the nomination.

But with Smythe no longer seeking Senate confirmation, the governor now has to find a permanent secretary — and that appointment will determine who is ultimately accountable for the department’s management, finances and statewide public safety operations.

Hoekstra, an attorney, will lead DPS while that search continues. She also lead the department on an interim basis in 2021 under then-Governor Roy Cooper.