A conservation group is asking Gov. Bev Perdue to investigate whether political campaign contributions and influence played a part in how members of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission got their seats.

The N.C. Wildlife Federation said testimony during the State Board of Elections hearing into former Gov. Mike Easley suggested that former commission member Gary Allen might have offered big donations to the N.C. Democratic Party. in exchange for keeping his seat on the commission, which regulates hunting and fishing.

"If these allegations prove true," said Tim Gestwicki, executive director of the federation, "We call upon Governor Perdue to immediately demand the resignations of any individuals who were appointed under such inappropriate circumstances. She should then appoint duly qualified, representative citizens to serve out any replaced terms."

N.C. Democratic Party Executive Director Andrew Whalen issued a statement after the State Board of Elections ruling.

The board found that former Gov. Mike Easley's campaign solicited contributions for the party that they promised would go to the Easley campaign.

Today, in a unanimous vote, the State Board of Elections fully exonerated the North Carolina Democratic Party of any violations of election law.

Evidence presented during the hearing indicated that the Easley Committee solicited contributions for the Party from two donors, indicating to the donors that those contributions would be used on behalf of the Easley Committee.

It was undisputed that the Party did not participate in the solicitations and had no knowledge of the manner in which the solicitations were made. The SBOE did order the Party to disgorge $9,000 representing the two contributions.

The North Carolina Democratic Party cooperated fully with the investigation, providing numerous documents and testimony, and is pleased that the Board carefully examined the evidence and chose to dismiss the complaint filed against the Party.

The State Board of Elections this morning ordered former Gov. Mike Easley's campaign to pay $100,000 for failing to report campaign flights and sent Easley's case to the Wake County District Attorney's Office for a criminal review.

Board chairman Larry Leake said the board had received evidence that suggests Easley or others may have committed a crime, reports Ben Niolet.

"This board has received evidence which, if believed, would tend to indicate that criminal violations of our election laws and campaign finance laws have occurred on the part of Mike Easley and perhaps others," Leake said.

Easley supporter and friend McQueen Campbell testified that Easley told him to file a false invoice for campaign flights to pay for repairs done to Easley's Raleigh home. Easley said the allegation is false.

The board also found that the Easley campaign solicited $9,000 in contributions to the N.C. Democratic Party by telling the contributors that the money would be earmarked for Easley's campaign, a violation of state law. The board ordered the N.C. Democratic Party to surrender $9,000. The board decided that there was no evidence of other crimes committed by the party.

CLASSES PACKED: The state's 58 community colleges have been slammed by students who enrolled because they need a job or a new career. One college president is teaching basic political science while another school has ramped up use of online classes to deal with the crush. (N&O)

FLIGHTS PAID: As the date for a hearing on the campaign finance activity of Gov. Mike Easley approached, his campaign quietly paid for five flights, acknowledging they could have been construed as campaign-related. (N&O)

DRIVE MY CAR: Former gubernatorial candidate Fred Smith owned a plane and the State Board of Elections told him that he could treat the plane as his car for the purposes of campaign finance reporting. That fact undercuts an argument by the N.C. Democratic Party that Republicans had unbilled flights just like Easley. (N&O)

The State Board of Elections has finished for the day and intends to begin discussing the case in closed session Thursday morning.

Board chairman Larry Leake told lawyers he expected the board to emerge from their closed session at 9:45 a.m.

The day was a slog through details of how the N.C. Democratic Party handled its campaign money. But the big events of the day came when lawyers delivered their closing arguments.

EASLEY GOES ALL IN: Gov. Mike Easley, through his lawyer, says he's innocent but wants the case referred to the Wake County District Attorney.

NO HARM: Lawyers for the N.C. Democratic Party and Easley's campaign said in closing statements that no crimes have been committed. The party maintains it followed the law. Easley's campaign acknowledges it should have accounted for all of its flights. Both sides say they forfeited money to make up for the problems.  

See a photo gallery of action from Thursday's final day of testimony and arguments by News & Observer photojournalist Shawn Rocco.

In a closing statement to the State Board of Elections, a lawyer for the N.C. Democratic Party said there was no scheme to funnel illegal campaign contributions to former Gov. Mike Easley.

Jim Cooney, an attorney for the party, said that memos from Easley's campaign suggesting such a scheme led to natural questions and allegations. But testimony and evidence showed the scheme didn't exist.

"It didn't happen," Cooney said. "There is no evidence from the way in which the party operated, not a shred of evidence from the way in which the party operated, not a shred of evidence from the way in which things actually occurred, that there was any kind of scheme or plan."

When State Board of Elections Chairman Larry Leake introduced a document outlining Democrats elections plans, he said the document might never be made public.

The document outlines a plan by the N.C. Democratic Party to coordinate get-out-the-vote and other efforts to push a full slate of Democrats.

The News & Observer has requested access to the document, which has been submitted to the board and, the newspaper argues, should be a public record. 

Board member Bob Cordle, in his questions to former party official Scott Falmlen, noted that Republicans would want to see the document as much as newspapers. Cordle told Falmlen that the Democratic Party would have to make a show of what information needed to be kept secret.

"You're going to have to show us what's proprietary and what's considered to be proprietary," Cordle said.

There's was a noticeable verbal play at work when State Board of Elections member Bill Peaslee began his questioning of former N.C. Democratic Party Executive Director Scott Falmlen.

Peaslee, at right, is a former high ranking official within the N.C. Republican Party. And Peaslee repeatedly referred to Falmlen's party as the "Democrat Party," as in:

"Did the Democrat Party at any point arrange for travel for Gov. [Mike] Easley?" Peaslee asked.

"Not that I'm aware of. No sir," Falmlen answered.

Dropping the "ic" from "Democrat," of course is often meant as a little tweak. It serves as a reminder that the Board of Elections is a partisan body with three Democrats and two Republicans.

And to be fair, Bob Cordle, a Democrat pictured at right, has earned some attention this week for the tone of his questions. Columnist and Dome's distinguished colleague Rob Christensen noted that Cordle's questions have coddled witnesses all week.

Board Chairman Larry Leake, whom some Republicans had criticized for holding a fundraiser in 2000 for Easley, continued his persistent and professional questioning. The same could not be said for Bob Cordle, whose unfettered flattery of all Democratic witnesses, including Easley, is cringe-inducing.

   Comments (1)

The former executive director of the N.C. Democratic Party said the party did not have a separate account for funneling money to former Gov. Mike Easley.

Scott Falmlen said he was in the best position to know what went on with campaign finance between the party and Easley's campaign.

Two big donors have earlier testified to the State Board of Elections that they gave large checks to the party that they expected to be passed along to Easley. Board members have made reference to a special "Governor's Fund" within the party.

Falmlen said the term was a code applied to contributions so the party would know how much money Easley's campaign had raised for the party.

"It was not a bank account. It was a source code," Falmlen said.

The State Board of Elections is looking at the N.C. Democratic Party's coordinated campaign plan for the 2000 election.

Former executive director of the party, Scott Falmlen, agreed to show the plan, which would normally be kept a closely-held secret. Board chairman Larry Leake said the board intended to keep portions of the plan secret and to prevent the document from becoming public.

The plan presumably would spell out the Democrat's plans to get out the vote and push the Democratic ticket.

For the purposes of the State Board of Elections hearing, Falmlen offerred to produce the plan to help show that the party did not agree to funnel illegal campaign contributions for former Gov. Mike Easley.

The get-out-the-vote effort would include mailers, robocalls and election day-poll workers and door knockers.

Above: Falmlen reviews the N.C. Democratic Party's plan to win the 2000 elections. Staff photo by Shawn Rocco.