Fiscal woes cloud Wright probe

House member's finances wobbly

RALEIGH -- Rep. Thomas Wright, under criminal investigation by the State Board of Elections, has run into enough financial difficulties that lenders have threatened or begun foreclosure proceedings multiple times in the past six years.

Wright also persuaded another legislator, Sen. R.C. Soles of Tabor City, to buy a Wright family home before creditors sold it, Soles said.

Wright, a Wilmington Democrat and an ally of former House Speaker Jim Black, refused to answer questions Wednesday about his finances.

"I don't think I need to talk with you about my personal business," he said.

The apparent financial problems, as well as a decade-long history of late tax payments, raise questions about what elections board officials will find as they comb through Wright's bank accounts. The board is investigating allegations of, among other things, hiding potentially controversial donations and trading contributions for legislative favors.

Wright resigned his chairmanship of two House committees Monday, at the urging of House Speaker Joe Hackney, in light of the elections board investigation.

Ethics laws at issue

Noah Pickus, interim director of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, said the important issue is whether the state's new ethics system is tough and independent enough to address any actual conflicts that could arise out of Wright's case.

"The guy's financial situation creates a potential conflict," Pickus explained, "but potential conflicts are for the voters to judge."

Wright owns two houses in Wilmington, one of which was nearly sold in foreclosure in 2004, records show. At the time Wright was quoted as saying he had resolved a dispute with the lender, and the house ultimately wasn't sold. He told the Star-News of Wilmington that he had recently lost two consulting contracts. He lists his occupation as a health and safety consultant.

In 1998, when a family home in Wilmington was about to be foreclosed upon, Wright asked for help. The home was owned by his mother, who had recently died, and the children couldn't agree over settling the estate, according to Soles, a Democrat and longtime friend.

Soles said he bought the house, believing it was a good business deal but also a favor for a friend. Three years later, Soles wanted to sell, but Wright wasn't ready to buy it back, Soles said.

"I wanted to move it," Soles said.

So Soles started to put it on the market, and Wright got a loan to buy the house. More foreclosure proceedings eventually followed before the house was sold at auction.

Wright is named as the founder of two companies, an ambulance service and a consulting business, both of which are listed as suspended in state records.

He has paid property taxes late on one Wilmington house every year for a decade, and is still overdue on another.