Sex offender pastor leads prayer at North Carolina GOP Senate candidate rally

At a campaign stop for Republican Senate hopeful Michael Whatley in North Carolina, the opening prayer was given by Daimon L. King, a pastor who is a lifetime registered sex offender after two convictions for crimes against children. The rally, hosted by the Craven County Republican Party on Aug. 28, also included a speech by Dr. Mehmet Oz and drew attention to Whatley's claim of being tough on crime. Whatley's team asserted that King was invited independently by the county party and not by the campaign.

The controversy surfaces amid a close Senate contest and a Democratic ad campaign that also targets Whatley's association with former GOP official Harvey L. West Jr., another convicted sex offender. Political analysts warn the revelations could hinder Whatley's appeal to the party’s hard-right base. Both King and West have publicly expressed remorse and emphasized their continued involvement in politics despite their records.