Pat McCrory and his wife flew to Paris in 2000 with tickets given by an airline.

A recent TV ad by the Alliance for North Carolina notes that the Republican gubernatorial candidate "accepted free travel to Paris for himself and his wife," citing a April 14, 2000, story in the Charlotte Observer.

The article notes that the McCrorys flew first-class to Paris compliments of U.S. Airways for a two-week trip that combined a trade mission to France and Germany with a vacation.

The couple then paid for their own tickets to Italy for a vacation, and the airline paid for their flight back from Italy. McCrory noted in the article that the return flight would have cost the same whether it was from Rome or Paris.

He was not the only public official to get the perk. U.S. Airways also flew then-Gov. Jim Hunt and a state trooper to France for the trade mission for free. Expenses for other state officials on the trip were paid for by the state.

"This trip was not a frivolous use of taxpayer dollars (i.e. there were no limos or $60 hamburgers for Gov. Hunt, Mayor McCrory, or their spouses) and it was approved by the city attorney," noted McCrory spokeswoman Amy Auth in an e-mail to Dome. "Every one of Pat's travel records were released to the media during his tenure as mayor."