 In 1827, Robards was elected to succeed the late John Haywood as Treasurer and faced the unhappy duty of presiding over an office clouded with much controversy while the shortages in the accounts of his predecessor were uncovered.Following a single term as Treasurer, at the end of which he declined to run for re-election, Robards served for many years as clerk of the North Carolina Supreme Court.He was a close personal friend of U.S.