Computer bug bit McCrory campaign report

A state elections official says it was a Board of Elections computer glitch that led to incomplete information on Pat McCrory's campaign finance reports.

Kim Strach, deputy director of the elections board, said Tuesday that the first quarter reports for McCrory's GOP gubernatorial campaign were filled out completely to include occupation and employment information for donors. But when the state's Web site pulled the information for report searches, a glitch left some fields blank.

Strach said she discovered the error after a story in The News & Observer highlighted the missing information.

McCrory's campaign won't have to amend its reports. Strach said elections officials will add the missing information to the publicly available database.

On Friday, McCrory campaign manager Richard Hudson said campaign officials had collected the required information and submitted it according to the Board of Election's instructions. Hudson said McCrory has always stressed transparency.

"This is something that he has taken very seriously from the beginning," Hudson said.

McCain gets N.C. air time

John McCain is buying air time in North Carolina.

The Republican presidential candidate has not previously aired TV ads in the state, although North Carolinians have seen other ads on national cable shows.

Following earlier attacks on the Democratic candidate as a "celebrity," the ad shows footage of Barack Obama's Berlin speech.

"Take away the crowds, the chants -- all that's left are costly words," a narrator says. "Barack Obama and out-of-touch congressional leaders have expensive plans, billions in new government spending, years of deficits, no balanced budgets and painful tax increases on working American families."

Whistleblower suit

A former State Ethics Commission employee who was fired after raising concerns about possible preferential treatment to Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue filed a whistleblower lawsuit in state Superior Court on Tuesday.

Amanda Thaxton, an office assistant, said the firing has hit her hard financially, and she wants a judge to reinstate her immediately. She is seeking an award of triple damages -- as the state's whistleblower law allows -- plus legal fees for being fired for reporting her concerns to the state auditor and the State Personnel Commission.

"This was [Thaxton's] first job out of college," said her attorney, Michael C. Byrne of Raleigh. "She comes in from Elon University, gets a job from the state and then is abruptly fired for cooperating and engaging in protected activity. That's just not right."

Perry Newson, the commission's executive director, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. He has said Thaxton, 24, was not fired in retaliation.

Thaxton's lawsuit said that Newson offered no explanation for firing her in July and that she had not been disciplined or questioned about her performance during her 15 months on the job. Thaxton was making $30,402 annually.

Thaxton also said she was fired for reporting a hostile work environment to the State Personnel Commission, which later released a review that cited a dysfunctional and distrustful workplace.

Edwardses cancel talk

Former Sen. John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, have canceled an appearance at Salem State College, a spokeswoman for the Salem, Mass., school said Tuesday.

The Sept. 23 event, scheduled before Edwards admitted to an extramarital affair with a woman who filmed videos in advance of his failed 2008 Democratic presidential campaign, had been billed as a "conversation with John and Elizabeth Edwards."

Karen Cady, a spokeswoman for Salem State, said no specific reason was given for the cancellation.

On Friday, Edwards confirmed a speaking engagement scheduled for Monday at Hofstra University.

N.C. delegates help out

About 30 North Carolina delegates to the Republican National Convention took part Tuesday in a massive volunteer effort for victims of Hurricane Gustav.

The group, wearing matching red polo shirts, headed Tuesday morning to the Minnesota Convention Center to create care packages.

The Republican National Committee organized the event and had hoped to get 200 volunteers from among the thousands of delegates, alternates, guests and staff attending this week's convention.