CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Republican candidate for the N.C. House of Representatives is fighting allegations he has bilked several local companies out of tens of thousands of dollars.
Mark Brody, who is running for state representative in District 55, is a former general contractor who has built homes in Union, Mecklenburg and Gaston County.
In the past decade, multiple businesses have filed civil suits against Brody, alleging he failed to pay them for materials and services rendered.
Raul's Concrete sued Brody for an unpaid bill of more than $23,000, according to Mecklenburg County Court records. In 2010, a Mecklenburg County judge ordered Brody and his wife to pay Green Heating and Cooling $12,000 in restitution for unpaid bills.
"If you're gonna take advantage of small business people, how do you expect to put somebody like that in a government position?" said Mike Campbell.
Campbell owns Carolina Quality Flooring & Cabinets in Matthews, and said Brody owes him more than $4,500 for flooring and labor, though he has not filed any civil litigation against Brody.
Campbell did previously sue Brody under the name of his family's carpet company for an unpaid bill of more than $15,000. He said the lawsuit never went into litigation and he was never paid for that outstanding amount, either.
"He made a lot of promises that he was going to take care of us," said Campbell.
According to a records check with the N.C. secretary of state's office, Brody has registered a half dozen different incorporation and businesses over the past decade, five of which now appear to be dissolved.
When Eyewitness News found Brody campaigning outside of a library in Monroe Wednesday, he declined an on-camera interview but admitted the construction industry was in a severe plight. He also called the allegations politically motivated.