The News & Observer has disclosed new information this year about the actions of Gov. Mike Easley, a Democrat and former state attorney general who served as governor from Jan. 2001 until Jan. 2009. The coverage has spurred state and federal investigations that are continuing, and led to the resignations or firing of several high officials, including the chancellor at N.C. State University.
Among other things, he and top administration officials are accused of leaning on North Carolina State University to hire the First Lady for a very expensive make-work job. The Easley also appear to have received a sweetheart deal on a prime lot in a coastal development spearheaded by political allies who boasted of their special ability to expedite state permitting for the project. The Easleys have been driving private cars they didn’t pay for. They’ve flown dozens of times on state aircraft for personal business, as well as on private aircraft in ways that appear to be in violation of state campaign-finance laws and gift restrictions. The most interesting revelation from this week’s hearings before the state elections board is that the governor reportedly had one of his pilot friends finance repairs to a personal home, then had the friend submit a fake invoice for campaign flights to be reimbursed by the Easley campaign, as a way of reimbursing himself for the home repairs. Then Easley had the audacity to file an insurance claim on the repairs and keep all the money.
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