Statement on Sheriff Seabolt's Violation of The First Amendment

When the Sheriff breaks the law, it’s time for a new Sheriff.

Greg Seabolt has been blocking Randolph County citizens from his Facebook page—the very page where he defends hiring decisions, promotes policy, attacks political opponents, and speaks as Sheriff. That’s not just unethical—it’s a clear violation of the First Amendment.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Lindke v. Freed (2024) that when public officials use social media to communicate in their official capacity, they cannot silence critics or block constituents. Sheriff Seabolt is violating that ruling and disregarding the Constitution he swore to uphold.

This isn’t a gray area. It’s black and white.

Today, I’m publicly delivering a formal letter demanding that Sheriff Seabolt immediately unblock all citizens he’s silenced and stop using his office to suppress public dialogue. That letter is attached for transparency.

We deserve a Sheriff who respects the rule of law—not one who hides from accountability and censors the public to protect his image.

That’s why I support Brian Arrington for Randolph County Sheriff—a leader who believes in transparency, constitutional rights, and serving all of Randolph County.

It’s time to restore integrity to the badge.

Statement on Ms. Coble's Dismissal of Her Bogus Claims Against Me

Less than 24 hours before we were set to go to court, Ms. Coble voluntarily dismissed her 50C case against me. That tells you everything you need to know. If she truly believed she had a case—if she had even a shred of evidence to back up her claims of harassment or defamation—she would have stood by her accusations and let a judge decide. Instead, she tucked tail and ran because she knew the truth was not on her side.

Let’s be clear: this was never about harassment. This was about shutting me up for exposing the truth about her actions. She wanted to use the court system as a weapon to intimidate me, waste my time, and distract from her own conduct. But when the moment came to put her accusations to the test, she backed down.

And the irony? She’s done the exact same thing she falsely accused me of. She has attacked, discredited, and gone after people when it suited her politically. But when the heat was turned on her, she suddenly wanted to play the victim.

This is not the kind of person Randleman needs as mayor. We need leadership built on integrity, not manipulation. Someone who respects the community, not someone who abuses the system to settle personal scores.

This won’t stop me. AnybodyButCoble.org isn’t going anywhere. We’re going to keep holding her accountable, keep exposing the truth, and make sure the people of Randleman know exactly who she is before they head to the polls.

She tried to silence me, and she failed. Now it’s time to turn up the volume.

Read the response from the organization, Anybody But Coble.

Clayton Ballentine to Seek Sanctions Against Mayoral Candidate Beverly Coble for Frivolous Legal Filing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 17, 2025

RANDLEMAN, NC – Clayton Ballentine has announced his intention to seek Rule 11 sanctions against Beverly Coble for filing a frivolous and baseless 50C no-contact order in an attempt to suppress constitutionally protected speech.

Ballentine, a vocal advocate for transparency and accountability, asserts that Coble’s legal action is a blatant misuse of the judicial system, weaponized against political criticism. Her complaint, filed on December 27, 2024, makes claims that do not meet the legal requirements of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50C-1, which applies only to cases of stalking or nonconsensual sexual conduct—not political disagreements or defamation claims.

“I will not back down in the face of threats and baseless legal action,” said Ballentine. “This attempt to silence me through frivolous litigation is an abuse of the court system, and I am taking all necessary steps to hold Ms. Coble accountable for this misuse of judicial resources.”

Contradictions and Bad Faith Filing

Ballentine’s Motion for Rule 11 Sanctions, which will be formally presented at the upcoming 50C hearing, provides clear evidence that Coble’s claims were made in bad faith, including:

• Contradictory statements between her sworn testimony and her public social media posts.

• Posts proving that her claims of fear are false, as she continued engaging with Ballentine online after filing.

• Statements revealing that her real motive is political retaliation, not personal safety.

Ballentine officially served Coble with the motion via USPS on January 17, 2025, giving her ample opportunity to withdraw her baseless claims before the hearing. The motion requests that the court dismiss the 50C petition with prejudice, impose sanctions for filing a frivolous case, and award legal costs incurred due to Coble’s improper filing.

We Will Not Be Silenced

“Let me be clear: Neither I nor AnybodyButCoble.org will be intimidated or silenced by legal threats, frivolous lawsuits, or baseless accusations,” said Ballentine. “We stand ready, willing, and able to defend ourselves against any further attempts to misuse the court system in an effort to stifle free speech and political opposition. We will not allow this type of abuse to go unchallenged.”

Read the Motion for Sanctions here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Dp7d3aVzkf7Y9Wub0ufgXCp50JkigiC-/view?usp=sharing