Engine troubleArticle3

Is this another case of political corruption in the NC Governor Beverly Perdue campaign, the NC Democrat Party, and specifically the Democrat Party controlled NC State Board of Elections led by Chairman Larry Leake? If this is not evidence demanding for a special investigation, what does it take? Where are the District Attorneys? Where is the State Bureau of Investigation? Where is the NC Bar Association? Is this not evidence for the NC Bar to investigate and, perhaps, revoke Chairman Larry Leake’s law license? It certainly appears Larry Leake is practicing legal law. Are all within the NC Democrat Party attempting to cover all corruption? Time will tell. NC citizens are watching. - Oscar Y. Harward

Tags: news | opinion - editorial | staff editorial

http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/02/11/981323/engine-trouble.html

Beverly Perdue was flying high toward her victory in the 2008 gubernatorial election, but Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby believes there were problems with campaign donor traffic control. A Wake grand jury has indicted Perdue contributor Robert Lee Caldwell of Morganton for obstruction of justice.

The indictment says that Caldwell, a retired state magistrate, solicited a check for a campaign donation to Perdue from Morganton barber James Fleming, who it's alleged was later reimbursed by Caldwell, who'd already hit the donation limit of $4,000. The money from Fleming went to pay for a campaign flight. (State law prohibits giving more than the limit for each election.)

Fleming had never before given a campaign donation, and he told Kim Strach, an investigator for the State Board of Elections, that he didn't know anything about a campaign flight.

Curiously, when the elections board, which is controlled by Democrats, came upon this matter, it decided on a party line vote not to pursue it, concluding that there had been no deliberate attempt to break the law. The board did fine Perdue's campaign for late reporting of flights.

Willoughby has praised Strach in the past, though she has been criticized by Democrats. The D.A. found this matter worth pursuing, and he said that his investigation was ongoing. "I wouldn't be surprised," Willoughby said, "if there are additional charges."

Perdue's campaign is under investigation at the state and local levels.

The handling of expensive airplane travel also brought trouble to former Gov. Mike Easley and some of his associates. When flights aren't properly reported, people providing them can evade the campaign contribution limit because the flights' value is supposed to count as an in-kind donation. It continues to be difficult for the public to understand why campaign staffs can't keep efficient track of activity like airplane flights - provided that they really want to keep track.

This is a serious matter, involving a sitting governor, and Willoughby is due credit for daring to go where the elections board apparently feared to tread. Board Chairman Larry Leake says he's come to realize that the board did not pursue this matter as vigorously as perhaps it should have.

In the meantime, it's unfortunate that with the state facing a huge budget crisis, and with tensions likely to build between a Democratic governor and a Republican-controlled General Assembly, the governor has had to hire high-powered lawyers and spend time on this issue.

The perils of political campaigns, and the side effects of the endless, breathless and sometimes careless other campaign - the one for the money - are many, and clearly potentially hazardous.