New Scandal on Easley’s Doorstep?
Two years ago, when Governor Easley was campaigning hard for reelection the state paid $21.5 million for 5,600 acres of land in
Governor Easley’s response to the story in the Charlotte Observer was a variation on his standard: ‘I don’t know.’ His office says he “knows none of them and knew nothing about the land buy.” His press secretary added “if there had been any hint of impropriety, Governor Easley would have stopped the deal dead in its tracks.’”
No hint of impropriety? Ten different people, in ten different places, on the same day, suddenly decide to give Governor Easley’s campaign $4,000 checks – and that’s just a coincidence?
It certainly appears, three weeks after the deal closed, someone rounded up ten checks, put them in an envelope and sent them to Governor Easley’s campaign. But who? And, for that matter, who on Easley’s campaign solicited the contributions?
According to The Observer the Governor’s official staff actively lobbied State agencies for the land purchase the land. The Chairman of the state’s Clean Water Management Trust Fund, which put up $13.5 of the $21.5 million, told his colleagues, “I got a telephone call from the Governor’s office that relayed to me that this is the Governor’s top priority…”
In addition, The Observer reports an appraisal done by the group selling the land showed it “paid about $2 million for the tracks it sold the state.” But then the appraisal placed the market value of the land at a whopping $27.6 million – because that would be the value if the land were “being developed for resort homes.”
Is this another example of ‘pay to play’? If so, what happens next? Is Attorney General Roy Cooper going to launch a no holes barred investigation? Probably not. Cooper’s probably no more anxious to tackle a scandal involving Governor Easley than he’s been to investigate the lottery scandals. When it comes to prosecuting fellow Democrats the state’s chief law-enforcement officer is well, politically, neutered. Which leaves the ball squarely in the Republicans’ court – but they have none of the vehicles of government at their command to conduct an investigation.
But they can do one thing: They can appeal to the court of public opinion. Republican State Chairman, Ferrell Blount, Republican State Senators and Representatives, can demand Governor Easley disclose who on his campaign staff solicited the contributions, who in his office lobbied for the land purchase and Republicans can demand a bi-partisan investigation, independent of Attorney General Cooper. Then, if the legislature and the Governor refuse, Republicans have two weeks to take their case to the voters.
New Scandal on Easley’s Doorstep?
Two years ago, when Governor Easley was campaigning hard for reelection the state paid $21.5 million for 5,600 acres of land in
Governor Easley’s response to the story in the Charlotte Observer was a variation on his standard: ‘I don’t know.’ His office says he “knows none of them and knew nothing about the land buy.” His press secretary added “if there had been any hint of impropriety, Governor Easley would have stopped the deal dead in its tracks.’”
No hint of impropriety? Ten different people, in ten different places, on the same day, suddenly decide to give Governor Easley’s campaign $4,000 checks – and that’s just a coincidence?
It certainly appears, three weeks after the deal closed, someone rounded up ten checks, put them in an envelope and sent them to Governor Easley’s campaign. But who? And, for that matter, who on Easley’s campaign solicited the contributions?
According to The Observer the Governor’s official staff actively lobbied State agencies for the land purchase the land. The Chairman of the state’s Clean Water Management Trust Fund, which put up $13.5 of the $21.5 million, told his colleagues, “I got a telephone call from the Governor’s office that relayed to me that this is the Governor’s top priority…”
In addition, The Observer reports an appraisal done by the group selling the land showed it “paid about $2 million for the tracks it sold the state.” But then the appraisal placed the market value of the land at a whopping $27.6 million – because that would be the value if the land were “being developed for resort homes.”
Is this another example of ‘pay to play’? If so, what happens next? Is Attorney General Roy Cooper going to launch a no holes barred investigation? Probably not. Cooper’s probably no more anxious to tackle a scandal involving Governor Easley than he’s been to investigate the lottery scandals. When it comes to prosecuting fellow Democrats the state’s chief law-enforcement officer is well, politically, neutered. Which leaves the ball squarely in the Republicans’ court – but they have none of the vehicles of government at their command to conduct an investigation.
But they can do one thing: They can appeal to the court of public opinion. Republican State Chairman, Ferrell Blount, Republican State Senators and Representatives, can demand Governor Easley disclose who on his campaign staff solicited the contributions, who in his office lobbied for the land purchase and Republicans can demand a bi-partisan investigation, independent of Attorney General Cooper. Then, if the legislature and the Governor refuse, Republicans have two weeks to take their case to the voters.