The campaign of Gov. Bev Perdue today cut a check to the state Board of Elections for $48,000, saying it was to satisfy a concern that "contributors may have been reimbursed by their employer."
Reimbursing employees for campaign contributions is illegal.
The Perdue committee, in a news release, said it had not made a "firm factual determination" of wrongdoing, but wanted to repay the money just in case.
The committee said its action was not prompted by an ongoing probe by the state Board of Elections.
But the committee did say that accusations made by the state Republican Party caused the Perdue committee to look further at some donations "we felt needed to be examined."
Most of the donations appear to be tied to Atlantic Packaging Corp., whose owner is Rusty Carter. Carter has been in the news over the past year because he flew former Gov. Mike Easley. He is a former member of the UNC-Chapel Hill board of trustees.
Carter could not be reached immediately.
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