George Soros did not "create" Majority Action.

Under the Dome has previously described the billionaire financier as the founder of the 527 organization currently running a TV ad attacking U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole. That is incorrect.

The group was founded in 2005 by Democratic political consultants Mark Longabaugh and Donnie Fowler. It currently is run by Longabaugh and consultants Bill Buck and Meghan Gaffney. 

Initial funding for the group came from the United Food & Commercial Workers Union and the Service Employees International Union as well as wealthy donors such as Texas philanthropist Linda Pritzker, New York apartment manager Adam Rose and Soros.

According to forms filed with the Internal Revenue Service, Soros gave $170,000 in 2006, making him the second largest donor after the SEIU, which gave $300,000. 

Because of Soros' backing, Majority Action has often been lumped in with a number of other 527 organizations that he helped fund in the 2006 cycle.

However, he has not donated to the group since 2006.

Dome regrets the error. 

The Democratic Governors Association is also getting in the game.

While the Republican Governors Association raising money for an independent expenditure political action committee, its Democratic counterpart is preparing to run TV advertisements here as well, the Associated Press reports.

The group confirmed late Wednesday that it is supporting the Alliance for North Carolina, a so-called 527 group formed on July 8.

According to a filing with the Internal Revenue Service, the alliance's purpose is "to communicate independently with citizens of North Carolina on issues of imoprtance" that don't expressly advocate for any candidate.

The Republican Governors Association said the Democratic group has purchased more than $300,000 of air time for a week starting Thursday in several media markets.

The alliance did not return phone calls to the AP.

Should the Democrats be attacking New Yorkers?

Both gubernatorial candidates Beverly Perdue and Richard Moore have been attacking each other for accepting financial contributions from residents of the Big Apple.

That's been a common line of attack for North Carolina politicians since the days of Sen. Jesse Helms.

But does it work anymore?

Consider the following information. According to tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service, 52,012 people moved from New York to North Carolina between 2000 and 2005.

That made it the fourth largest group of state residents moving here.

(The others? Florida, 58,659; Virginia, 57,020; and South Carolina, 56,728.)

Perhaps New York is not the political bogeyman that it used to be. Then again, those people may have moved from New York for a reason...

Hat Tip: David Raynor

Rep. Thomas Wright pocketed $8,900 in corporate checks intended for a nonprofit, calling the money "sweat equity," according to papers filed Tuesday at the legislature.

On Oct. 5, the Wilmington Democrat was interviewed by SBI Special Agent Johnnie Umphlet about checks totaling $8,900 from Anheuser-Busch, AstraZeneca and AT&T to the Community's Health Foundation, which Wright ran.

Wright admitted that he received, signed and deposited the checks into his personal bank account, according to Umphlet.

"He called his reimbursement 'sweat equity,' " according to a witness list.

Other potential witnesses include an IRS employee and a Wilmington doctor. (Char-O)

Bill Graham gave a total of $2.3 million to his political advocacy group.

According to Internal Revenue Service forms made available this week, the Salisbury attorney gave a total of $2,302,028 between December of 2005 and February of 2007 to N.C. Conservatives United, an advocacy group he started to fight the gas tax and illegal immigration.

The next largest donor was Larry T. Cloninger Jr., president of Cloninger Ford-Toyota in Salisbury, who gave a total of $100,000 in November and December of last year.

The only other donors to the group were William Frank Lee of Smithfield, who gave $6,000; Herchel Rogers Sr. of Good Neighbors New Hanover County, which gave $193; and Catherine M. Earle of Fayetteville, who gave $15.

The bulk of the money — a total of $2,292,563 — went to Fetzer Stephens, a Raleigh consulting firm, to produce ads, buy air time and give consulting services. Another $6,442 went directly to consultant Tom Fetzer, who was last paid in May, shortly before Graham announced his campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

According to the 2007 mid-year report, the group has $5,413 left.