The son of a top adviser to Gov. Mike Easley and Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue has secured an internship in Easley's office.

Easley's office announced the internship on Tuesday, along with 97 others in state government, for Pope McCorkle IV of Durham. McCorkle, an undeclared sophomore at Princeton University, will work in the governor's press office, Andy Curliss reports.

McCorkle's father — known as "Mac" — has been a key adviser to Easley since the 1990s and is working for Perdue as she weighs a run for governor. Neither could be immediately reached on Tuesday.

The interns are selected through a competitive process and none is taken if requirements aren't met, said Lisa Flint-Morris, coordinator of the internship program. She said she was aware of the younger McCorkle's ties to "the political arena," but that it didn't prohibit him from being hired. She said he did not get favorable treatment.

In all, 470 students applied for the internships. A total of 98 were given jobs in all areas of state government. The jobs pay $8.25 per hour.