Easley quietly pays state for old campaign flights

The campaign of former Gov. Mike Easley has paid the state about $2,821 for a handful of flights that it says the governor took while campaigning.

The Easley committee made the payment a week ago to the State Board of Elections as officials were issuing subpoenas to several aircraft owners to whom the payments are tied. The payment was disclosed publicly Thursday.

A lawyer for the campaign, John Wallace, wrote that the flights likely took place and "could be construed" as related to Easley's campaign but were not disclosed in reports.

The five flights were included in a News & Observer series in May that raised questions about what supporters provided for Easley. Easley's lawyers said that two other flights mentioned in the newspaper's series could be considered Democratic Party flights that Easley was not required to pay for.

The repayments included:

Two flights on a plane belonging to a company owned by Cameron McRae, a Bojangles' franchiser from Kinston. One was in 2003 and one was in 2004. Easley appointed him to the state Board of Transportation; he resigned earlier this year.

A flight in 2004 on a plane owned by Rusty Carter, a Wilmington packaging company president and college fraternity brother to Easley. Easley twice appointed Carter as a trustee at UNC-Chapel Hill.

A flight in 2003 on a plane owned by Cress Horne, owner of a helicopter company known for filming movie scenes. Easley appointed Horne to the state Aeronautics Council.

They also said they identified nine flights Easley took with McQueen Campbell but determined that a disputed invoice for $4,777.50 covered the cost. Campbell valued those flights at $23,490, however, and has said he wasn't paid for flights. He said that check was for repairs to Easley's home.

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