Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the last I heard, you can't sue a public official in NC unless you can prove outright malice on the part of the subject of your suit. If it were that easy, people would go back and sue every elected official who brazenly voted in favor of a development that was wrong for a location but clearly knew they'd better vote yes. Even when you sue the local government (more likely their insurance company), there's limits as to how much you can collect.