John Alan Torbett (born May 21, 1956) is a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the North Carolina House of Representatives. He has represented the 108th district (including constituents in

Gaston County Gaston County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 227,943. The county seat is Gastonia. Dallas served as the original county seat from 1846 until 1911. Gaston County is included in the C ...

) since 2011.

Political career

Torbett served on the

Board of Commissioners from 2002 to 2010. He was first elected to the NC House in 2010. He has been re-elected to the seat which covers northeastern Gaston County a total of 5 times, most recently in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

. On March 3, 2017, Torbett filed a bill H249 entitled Economic Terrorism which would make the civil protest method of Boycott a felony and entitle the target to recover $50,000 or triple damages, whichever is greater.

Corruption in office

In October 2020, Torbett was accused of embezzling money from North Carolina taxpayers by improperly "double-dipping" reimbursements. Investigators documented over $85,000 in housing and travel expenses that Torbett had improperly embezzled since 2017. The scheme involved charging the state for housing and travel expenses while also reimbursing himself from campaign funds, such that Torbett personally profited from every expense.

Electoral history

2020

2018

2016

2014

2012

2010

Committee assignments

2021-2022 session

*Appropriations (Vice Chair) *Appropriations - Education (Chair) *Education - K-12 (Chair) *State Government (Chair) *Redistricting (Vice Chair) *Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House (Vice Chair) *UNC BOG Nominations

2019-2020 session

*Appropriations (Vice Chair) *Appropriations - Transportation (Chair) *Homelessness, Foster Care, and Dependency (Chair) *Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Committee (Vice Chair) *Transportation (Senior Chair) *Redistricting (Vice Chair) *Judiciary

2017-2018 session

*Appropriations (Vice Chair) *Appropriations - Transportation (Chair) *Appropriations - Information Technology *Transportation (Chair) *Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House (Vice Chair) *Judiciary IV *Commerce and Job Development

2015-2016 session

2013-2014 session

*Appropriations (Vice Chair) *Commerce and Job Development (Vice Chair) *Transportation *Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House *Education *Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs

2011-2012 session

*Appropriations *Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs (Vice Chair) *Commerce and Job Development *Education *Agriculture

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Torbett, John Living people 1956 births People from Chattanooga, Tennessee People from Gaston County, North Carolina 21st-century American politicians County commissioners in North Carolina Republican Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives