The event may have been attended by Republicans. Reives, a Chatham County Democrat, said his understanding was that some members of the committee were invited, but the Democrats on the committee were not.

“I’ve got no evidence that any Democrats — definitely no evidence any went — but even beyond that, I don’t know anything about (the event itself),” Reives said, adding that he heard about the event the same time as everybody else did.

Reives said it’s hard to comment on “what did or didn’t happen” since the Reddit poster did not share their name or the name of legislators on the trip.

Lawmakers have questions

Two Republican House lawmakers at the Legislative Building on Monday, Rep. Donna McDowell White and Rep. Howard Penny, said they were not present for the alleged incident and knew no details.

Asked who had been involved, if this trip was for state business and more, White said she didn’t know about it, while Penny said he “did get a call last night saying that had happened but I do not know who was there.”

He said the person who called him was not a lawmaker but somebody asking him if he had heard about the incident.

”The only thing I would say is that is not the reflection we would have wanted to have on North Carolina,” Penny said.

Senate leader Phil Berger said Monday he “saw the post. I don’t know any details. Obviously we’ll be asking some questions, but I do not know anything about it.”

He also said he did not know whether Senate members had been involved.

North Carolina Republican House Caucus Director Stephen Wiley declined to comment to The N&O on Monday morning.

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