Sen. R.C. Soles, who sits on the Senate Transportation Committee that oversees the Division of Motor Vehicles, is defending a client being sued by the agency.

DMV is suing Oak Island Mayor Johnie Vereen over $389,000 embezzled by one of Vereen's then-employees at his now-defunct license plate agency, the Star-News of Wilmington reports. The employee pleaded guilty to swindling the money last year, and Vereen did not face criminal charges.

DMV now is trying to get the money out of Vereen.

"He hasn't taken one penny," Soles, a lawyer and Tabor City Democrat, told the newspaper.

As a member of the Senate Transportation Committee, Soles helps oversee the Department of Transportation and its various appendages, including DMV.

Allen Strickland, the Tabor City teen who received financial help from Sen. R.C. Soles, sold the corvette that Soles helped him buy.

Strickland, known as 'Frog,' sold the car on the same day that he made bail, according to WWAY-TV.

Strickland posted a $500,000 bond last week after being jailed for leading police on a high speed chase. He was already out on bond from an earlier charge of setting fire to his own house, a small structure that Soles helped him pay for.  

Sen. Marc Basnight issued a statement Monday about Sen. R.C. Soles.

Soles, a Tabor City Democrat, is under investigation for a shooting incident in which Soles apparently shot a would-be intruder. Basnight didn't comment on the allegation.

"He has been an outstanding Senator on behalf of the people of this state and as effective and dedicated as I've ever seen for the people he represents in his district," Basnight said.

Sen. R.C. Soles, who is under investigation for shooting a man who Soles said was trying to break into his home, voted in favor of a bill that would have given residents wide latitude to defend their homes.

Soles was one of 42 senators who voted for the "castle doctrine," which essentially states that a resident is justified in shooting an intruder into his or her home. Under current law, a jury could decide that a homeowner was not justified if, say, the would-be burglar was shot running from the house.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Doug Berger, a Franklin County Democrat, passed the Senate and then stalled in the House.

Hat tip: Political Junkie 

N.C. Sen. R.C. Soles apparently shot one of two would-be intruders at his home just outside Tabor City around 5 p.m. Sunday evening.

The victim, Kyle Blackburn, was transported to a South Carolina hospital, but the injuries were not reported to be life threatening, according to Rex Gore, district attorney for Columbus, Bladen and Brunswick counties.

The State Bureau of Investigation and Columbus County Sheriff’s Department are investigating the shooting.

Soles, who was not arrested, declined to discuss the incident when reached Sunday evening.

"I am not in a position to talk to you,” Soles, 74, said by telephone Sunday night. “I'm right in the middle of an investigation.”

Soles, a top-ranking Democrat and longest-serving member of the legislature, already was the subject of an SBI investigation over a sexual misconduct allegation – later recanted – by a former client.

Someone set fire to a Columbus County house occupied by a former client of state Sen. R.C. Soles.

Allen Strickland, 17, escaped before the house burned to the ground, WWAY-TV in Wilmington reports.

Last year, Strickland was arrested after police say he was threatening to extort the senator.

Strickland told the station that Soles paid for his house, his car, and gives him a regular allowance as part of an arrangement they had if Strickland finished school.

This week, morning anchor Kevin Wuzzardo asked the Senator about the gifts at the end of an unrelated interview. The station published a transcript of the exchange.

Kevin: "On another matter, a young man named Allen Strickland told us that you've given him tens of thousands of dollars to pay for his house and his car, as part of an arrangement that if he finishes school, you'll buy him these things. Have you given him that money?:

Soles: "I cannot hear you."

Kevin: (Louder) "A young man named Allen Strickland told us that you've given him tens of thousands of dollars to pay for his house and his car."

Soles: "I cannot hear you, speak up."

Kevin: (Louder) "A young man named Allen Strickland - "

Soles: "Speak up."

Kevin: "Do you hear me, Senator?"

The phone then went dead. The station has been unable to reach Soles again.

The expected Democratic illuminati are at the Obama town hall event.

Conspicuously not here: Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan, one of the swing votes that brought President Barack Obama to Raleigh today. Her office cited a conflict, namely that the U.S. Senate is in session.

Here are some of the folks who are here (apologies to those we didn't recognize or spot).

* N.C. House: Reps. Deborah Ross, Pricey Harrison, Verla Insko.

* N.C. Senate: Sens. R.C. Soles, Bill Purcell, Dan Blue, Tony Rand, Charlie Albertson.

* Governors: Jim Hunt (a spokeswoman said Beverly Perdue will be here as well).

* Wake County Commission chairman Harold Webb.

* Democratic Party chairman David Young and John Crumpler, a Raleigh businessman and Obama fundraiser.

* Possible candidates for U.S. Senate against Sen. Richard Burr: N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and lawyer Cal Cunningham.

Update: Post now reflects that Hagan was not in Raleigh because she was working in Washington. 

One of Gov. Beverly Perdue's judicial appointments had some tax problems.

Sherry Dew Tyler will be sworn in Friday as a judge for the 13th Judicial District in Bladen, Brunswick and Columbus counties.

But WWAY television reports that she owed back taxes:

When Governor Perdue chose her for the judgeship, Tyler had a huge overdue tax bill. With interest included, she owed the federal government about $76,000 in back income taxes.

"I had a federal tax lien. It's been a matter of public record for a period of time. My plan had been to take care of that. It was the right thing to do before I was being considered as a district court judge,” Tyler said.

When we caught up with Ms. Tyler outside the courthouse Wednesday afternoon, she told us she had just paid her overdue tax bill in full.

Tyler is the law partner of Sen. R.C. Soles.

* Alt-weekly writer Bob Geary says U.S. Sen. Richard Burr's campaign skills are "fair-to-middling," Attorney General Roy Cooper's "unproven."

* N.C. House narrowly approves second reading of bill to allow comprehensive sex education in high schools, with some amendments.

* Gov. Beverly Perdue appoints Sherry Dew Tyler, law partner of state Sen. R.C. Soles, to District Court in Eastern Carolina.

* U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan sponsors a bill that would require funding of veterans hospitals on a two-year cycle to reduce financial uncertainty.

Here are the chairs of the other Senate committees, the senators who often decide what bills get debated and voted on by the committee.

Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources -- Sen. Bob Atwater, Chapel Hill Democrat

Commerce -- Sen. R.C. Soles, Tabor City Democrat

Education -- Sen. Vernon Malone, Raleigh Democrat and Sen. Richard Stevens, Cary Republican

Finance -- Sen. David Hoyle, Dallas Democrat; Sen. Dan Clodfelter, Charlotte Democrat and Sen. Clark Jenkins, Tarboro Democrat

Health Care -- Sen. William Purcell, Laurinburg Democrat and Sen. Stan Bingham, Denton Republican

Judiciary 1 -- Sen. Martin Nesbitt, Asheville Democrat

Judiciary 2 -- Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, Concord Republican

Mental Health and Youth Services -- Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, Carrboro Democrat and Sen. Malcolm Graham, Charlotte Democrat

Pensions/Retirement/Aging -- Sen. Tony Foriest, Graham Democrat

Rules -- Sen. Tony Rand, Fayetteville Democrat

State and Local Government -- Sen. Ed Jones, Enfield Democrat and Sen. Don East, Pilot Mountain Republican

Transportation -- Sen. Larry Shaw, Fayetteville Democrat

Ways & Means -- Sen. Charlie Dannelly, Charlotte Democrat

Select Committee on Energy, Science and Technology -- Sen. Katie Dorsett, Greensboro Democrat and Sen. Joe Sam Queen, Waynesville Democrat