RALEIGH — On Thursday, N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory’s office made the following press release:

On the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, Attorney General Roy Cooper told a federal court that his office intends to appear on behalf of the State of North Carolina in the lawsuit involving the U.S. Department of Justice. This quiet reversal of the Attorney General’s public position comes after his office repeatedly indicated he would not defend the state in any lawsuit involving a common-sense law to protect privacy in bathrooms, locker rooms and shower facilities.

His filings also indicate that his office engaged in conversations with the U.S. Department of Justice prior to entering the case. The Attorney General reversed his position without consulting any of the defendants in the lawsuit, and he did not make any public announcement that he had entered the case to represent the State of North Carolina.

Both the Attorney General and his campaign made public statements as recently as yesterday that undermine the state’s position and contradict the legal filings by his office. Therefore, in light of the conflicting statements by the Attorney General, Governor McCrory filed notice in federal court that his administration intends to represent and defend the State of North Carolina in its lawsuit.

View the recent court filings by the Attorney General here.