RALEIGH -- The head of the state Republican Party sought Wednesday to toss Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue in the political tar pit engulfing Mike Easley.
Tom Fetzer, chairman of the N.C. Republican Party, brandished new allegations to reporters and said Perdue is deserving of a thorough investigation and hearing like the one the State Board of Elections held in October concerning Easley, a Democrat and Perdue's predecessor. The board eventually fined Easley's campaign $100,000 for improprieties including undisclosed flights and other gifts.
The head of the state elections board said Wednesday that officials are reviewing how all gubernatorial campaigns from 2004 and 2008 handled flights and have not yet seen anything to warrant the treatment given to Easley. It was Perdue's campaign that originally notified the elections board of the undisclosed flights, which were left out because of a software problem, according to the campaign. So far, Perdue has found 31 flights that were not properly disclosed.
Perdue said Wednesday that her campaign has worked hard to correct reporting mistakes and oversights.
"I am not the former governor or the former administration," Perdue said. "My campaign has done everything it can do to make sure that everything was done correctly. I hate this rhetoric. I hate it for the people of North Carolina."
Fetzer said at a news conference Wednesday that the similarities between Easley's reports and Perdue's justify a thorough investigation. He handed out copies of a letter he sent to the elections board alleging Perdue also received contributions from several fundraisers who are wrapped up in state and federal investigations of Easley.
At the hearing, Easley campaign contributors testified that they gave large checks to the state Democratic Party because they thought the money would be funneled to Easley, a scheme to subvert campaign finance limits. Contributors also testified they expected special treatment from the state government in exchange for their checks.
Fetzer said he sees similarities in campaign finance records between Easley and Perdue. He said Perdue only disclosed the flights because of the investigations swirling around Easley. Federal authorities have indicted Ruffin Poole, a former aide to Easley, on 51 counts of corruption.
"This is a pattern of behavior that ran through two administrations, and we believe there was willful intent to violate the law on the part of both campaigns," Fetzer said.
Gary Bartlett, executive director of the State Board of Elections, said the various campaigns of former gubernatorial candidates are cooperating and the board has left its files on the cases open to the public. Closing the files would be a step toward a more formal investigation or hearing.
"The information has not reached the level that causes us concern," Bartlett said.
Staff writer Lynn Bonner contributed to this report.
