Former Democratic Gov. Mike Easley has spent $222,000 in campaign funds on lawyers this year, according to a new report filed Friday.

The report shows that spending on three law firms ramped up as investigations started into issues surrounding Easley and his campaign this spring. Elections officials have said that the former governor, who left office in January, can spend his campaign funds on legal issues that arise out of the governor's position as an office holder, which covers a broad area.

One of the lawyers working for Easley, John R. Wallace, said in a statement:  “The legal service provided included compliance services, research and reporting, and the gathering and assembly of information from past campaigns.  We have been providing information to move this matter forward and are intent on coming to a quick resolution.”

Elections officials have said they have concerns about the campaign's activities and have indicated there will be hearings on the issues sometime in September.

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Students at a forum at UNC-Chapel Hill today said Chelsea Clinton seemed professional, but needed more enthusiasm and excitement.

"I was almost bored by her facial expressions," said Hailey Loftis, a history and studio art major from Greensboro.

But Loftis and fellow sophomore Elizabeth Beene said the question-and-answer session in the Student Union only reinforced their support of Hillary Clinton because of the way Chelsea addressed questions on education and health care.

Beene, a music education major, said Chelsea served as a "liaison between her family and the younger population."

Freshman Arielle Reid, a psychology major from Charlotte, said she was leaning toward Obama.

"She leveled the playing field," Reid said of Chelsea Clinton. "I need to do more research."

John Edwards, third in national polls, seems to be driving the party debate on poverty, the WSJ reports.

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama has picked up on the poverty theme.

An Obama campaign official dismissed as "absurd" the notion that Mr. Edwards drove the debate on poverty or any other issues. But some voters feel otherwise. "I appreciate Edwards because he's at least talking about poverty," said Scott Myers-Lipton, a San Jose State University professor who caught Mr. Edwards speaking in New Orleans. "He's the only one talking about it."

"He's a serious candidate and he's not to be discounted just because he lags in the national polls," says Democratic pollster Mark Mellman, who is neutral in the nomination contest. "It's a smart strategy for the front-runners to follow him."

The tiny town of Columbus, Ky. won an online contest to have John Edwards visit their community.

Columbus, pop. 229, started to "demand" an Edwards visit on the event planning site, eventful.com, about three weeks ago.

Shawn Dixon, 24 and a former Columbus resident, organized the demand campaign. He had friends and family join the effort and used social networking sites Facebook and MySpace to get the word out. Columbus beat Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, and other big cities.

Dixon, an Edwards supporter, said presidential candidates don't often visit rural communities.

"I thought it was important to create a new dialogue about the issues rural people face every day," said Dixon, who is living in New York and about to start law school at NYU.