Rep. Thomas Wright faced skeptical colleagues after an elections board hearing Tuesday.
At the hearings, state investigators testified that the New Hanover Democrat may have illegally spent more than $222,000 in campaign donations over the past six years on personal items. (N&O)
He also may have accepted $14,225 from corporations, also prohibited under state law, and used a false letter from a state worker to get a $150,000 bank loan. (WSN) And a nonprofit he ran, The Community's Health Foundation, did not appear to have a federal tax ID number.
Wright declined to testify at the hearing or speak with reporters at length. That gave House Speaker Joe Hackney pause:
"Unless Representative Wright has some satisfactory explanation, which certainly didn’t happen today, then he can certainly no longer be effective here." (Hunter's Tavern)



