Gov. Bev Perdue's campaign disclosed today that it did not properly report or pay for five more free flights since 2004.
The disclosure follows her report in August that the campaign had issued checks to pay for 17 flights that had gone unreported.
Former Gov. Mike Easley is the subject of federal and state investigations that partly involve his use of free air travel that went unreported. After hearings in October, the State Board of Elections ordered Easley's campaign to forfeit $60,000 for the costs of his flights and $40,000 for the cost of the investigation.
Republican Party leaders have called for a similar investigation of Perdue.
The five additional Perdue flights, valued at about $1,700 total, were disclosed in a Nov. 17 letter to the elections board from Perdue's campaign treasurer, former state Sen. Oscar Harris. He said the flights would now be listed as in-kind campaign contributions, and he blamed the omission on a change in software used by the campaign.
Mary Brinn, of Brinn Glass & Mirror in Vanceboro, provided one flight worth $354, while the rest were provided by Garner lawyer Terrance McEnally. The letter also discloses a $475 debt to Perdue's now-deceased first husband's law firm in New Bern.
