Staff photo by Shawn Rocco
Dave Horne, a top official in former Gov. Mike Easley's gubernatorial campaigns, looks over documents pertaining to Easley's campaign finances.
They asked; they prodded. Dave Horne just couldn't remember.
Horne, who was treasurer for former Gov. Mike Easley's gubernatorial campaigns, struggled to understand or recall the answer to many questions during his testimony Tuesday morning to the State Board of Elections.
Board members asked him repeatedly about who helped craft the campaign's money-raising plans, which included a memo that outlined ways to keep "controversial" people off campaign finance reports. He said he could not remember all the names.
Board member Bill Peaslee asked which of the contributors to the plan Horne could identify.
"What do you mean by 'contribute'?" Horne asked.
Peaslee responded: "You tell me what you meant when you said you can't remember the names of all the people who contributed to the plan."
Board member Charles Winfree asked whether Horne remembered details about a flight he was on that was piloted by McQueen Campbell.
"Was that a campaign flight?" Winfree asked.
"I don't remember," Horne said.
"Do you remember where you went?"
"I don't," Horne said, adding that he did remember that Easley was on the flight. "Quite frankly, my memory is very hazy about that."
