RALEIGH -- Former Gov. Mike Easley will be the subject of public hearings later this month as part of an ongoing state elections board investigation into questionable activity by the Easley campaign and the state Democratic Party, according to the board's chairman, Larry Leake.
The hearings will begin Oct. 26 at 11 a.m. and could last a week, Leake told the News & Observer today.
Leake said the hearings will deal with evidence of alleged campaign law violations — and that no one should assume there was any wrongdoing by Easley, the state party or his campaign just because hearings will be held.
"The purpose of the hearings is to find the truth as to what did occur," Leake said.
A spokesman for Easley had said previously that Easley, a Democrat who left office in January after serving eight years, did not think any hearings were necessary.
The hearings will give Easley a chance to publicly appear under oath and answer questions surrounding his campaign. Easley has communicated only through lawyers, spokesmen or written statements since reports in The News & Observer this spring detailed the use of cars and secret flights provided for Easley but for which he did not pay.
The state Democratic Party, which had been listed in reports as providing some of the flights -- but not all -- has since forfeited $24,000 related to Easley flights and said it was an effort to "fully comply with the law."
Other reports in the N&O since then have revealed a range of perks that Easley and his wife, Mary, accepted while in office. The elections board only investigates matters that deal with campaigns and elections, and so it is unclear exactly what information the hearings will cover.
Leake declined to comment on the scope or subject matters he expects to come up.
The hearings would be a major step in the state Board of Elections' probe of the Easley campaign. They can result in any number of outcomes, including an exoneration; rebuke or sanction; fines; or a referral to state prosecutors with a finding that the campaign, the elected official or campaign donors or other officials broke state laws.
Witnesses must testify under oath.
Separately, the FBI and other state and federal agencies are also conducting investigations of Easley, according to subpoenas and other documents that have been made public in recent months. Easley has said he is comfortable with the state and federal investigations of his years in public service.
Some of the biggest political scandals in state history were subject to elections hearings, including probes that involved former House speaker Jim Black, former Agriculture commissioner Meg Scott Phipps and former state Rep. Thomas Wright. All three later were charged and sent to prison.
Other hearings by the elections board have led to fines of public officials or a finding that nothing wrong happened.
A lawyer for Easley had indicated in May that the campaign was working to update its campaign reports and produce more disclosure about some issues. But that has not taken place.
