Six months before former state Treasurer Richard Moore left office, the North Carolina pension fund that he oversaw invested more than $500 million in the investment fund firm that now employs him, the Insider reports.

Moore was named a managing director at San Diego-based Relational Investors in April of this year. The office of current Treasurer Janet Cowell confirmed that in July 2008 the pension fund signed an agreement to make a substantial investment with Relational Investors. The investment, as of Sept. 30, was valued at $508,623,784. It was the pension fund's first and only investment with the firm.

Ralph Whitworth, founding director of Relational Investors, said the investment and Moore's hiring were completely unrelated.

"If it creates a perception, that's unfortunate. Richard, after he left the state treasurer's office, was one of the most sought-after persons in finance," Whitworth said. "We were totally excited."

UPDATE: Moore responds to the story in an email to Dome. (After the jump.)

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The National Republican Senatorial Committee is doing a little victory dance over former state Sen. Cal Cunningham's decision not to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr next year.

By the GOP's count (which looks an awful lot like a list compiled by Dome), Cunningham is the 10th Democrat who has looked at the Senate race and decided to take a pass, Rob Christensen reports. Here is the Republican's list: Attorney General Roy Cooper, Rep. Heath Shuler, Rep. Mike McIntyre, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, state Rep. Grier Martin, state Rep. Tricia Cotham, former state Treasurer Richard Moore, and state Sen. Malcolm Graham.

"Once again," said Republican spokesman Colin Reed, "the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and national Democrats have suffered a serious setback in their efforts to land a top-tier candidate in North Carolina."

Likely disagreeing with that sentiment are the two announced Democrats, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Durham lawyer Kenneth Lewis. U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge and Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy are looking at the race.

Update: Also disagreeing with Reed was DSCC communications director Eric Schultz.

"Aside from Senator John Ensign, Senator Burr has the lowest approval rating of any Republican in the United States Senate. That’s because he’s beholden to the special interests in Washington. He will face a formidable opponent next November."

In a split decision issued Tuesday, the N.C. Court of Appeals ruled that a lower court acted appropriately in dismissing a lawsuit filed against former State Treasurer Richard Moore.

The State Employees Association of North Carolina sued in 2008 over a dispute about whether Moore's office had provided public records requested by the group regarding the handling of the state retirement system.

Moore's lawyer argued in Wake Superior Court in June 2008 that the association cannot point to a single specific public record that had been withheld, and Judge James E. Hardin dismissed the suit.

In Tuesday's decision, appeals court Judges Cheri Beasley and Wanda G. Bryant ruled that Hardin was right to dismiss the case, ruling that Moore had fulfilled his obligation under the state's public records law to search his files for documents covered under the request filed by SEANC.

Appeals Court Judge Rick Elmore dissented, writing in a separate opinion that the employees group had shown that Moore had likely withheld records he was legally obligated to provide.

UPDATE: Thomas A. Harris, the chief of staff and general counsel for SEANC, said he will recommend to the group's board that they appeal Tuesday's decision to the N.C. Supreme Court.

"The majority opinion misstates the facts of the case and, as the dissent points out, adds a equirement for maintaining a Public Records Act lawsuit that is not in the law itself," Harris said in an e-mail to Dome.

Moore said: "This news, combined with the other recent news that North Carolina's pension fund was the best performing in the country for this past fiscal year, are nice exclamation points to the end of my 8-year-tenure."

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Gov. Mike Easley liked to call on his trusted campaign advisor Mac McCorkle.

That didn't sit too well with Easley's former campaign manager, Jay Reiff, who was trying to get Treasurer Richard Moore elected governor. 

See, McCorkle was a consultant for then-Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, who was in a heated rivalry with Moore for the Democratic nomination for governor. 

McCorkle, who was called to testify before the State Board of Elections on Tuesday, said that at some point, Reiff called foul. 

"I think they were strategically worried about my relationship to Gov. Easley and wanted to distance me from Gov. Easley," McCorkle testified. "That was in the midst of campaign war." 

McCorkle was it a tough spot because Easley apparently had him on speed dial.

"I think he initiated more of of the calls than I did," McCorkle said.

Secretary of State Elaine Marshall has assembled a veteran team of political consultants to help her in her bid for the U.S. Senate.

Her pollster is Celinda Lake of Washington, who has worked for candidates ranging from former President Bill Clinton and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Harvey Gantt's 1996 Senate campaign, Rob Christensen reports. Lake, who is regarded as expert in framing in issues for women, also worked for Marshall's unsuccessful 2002 Senate campaign.

Her media consultant is Doc Sweitzer of Philadelphia, whose clients have included Al Gore' 1988 presidential campaign and New Jersey Governor Jim Florio's race. He has extensive experience in working for North Carolina Democrats including state Treasurer Richard Moore and Congressmen Robin Britt, Bill Hefner, Martin Lancaster, Brad Miller and Steve Neal.

Marshall's general consultant is Thomas Mills of Chapel Hill, who has worked for the Kerry-Edwards campaign, for Congressman Larry Kissell and Eva Clayton and Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy among other candidates.

Marshall is one of two Democrats who have announced for the seat held by Republican Sen. Richard Burr. Lawyer Kenneth Lewis has also announced his candidacy.

Campaign finance records reveal varied political pedigrees for Gov. Beverly Perdue’s newest picks for the state Board of Transportation.

Perdue is reappointing one board member who was a major contributor in her run for governor, Bruce Siceloff and David Raynor report. She is naming four new members including one who supported her Democratic primary rival and never contributed to Perdue’s campaign.

J. Gary Ciccone of Fayetteville, to succeed Mac Campbell in Division 6. Ciccone, a commercial real estate developer, chairs a bank board and has been a political contributor to two of its members: Sen. Tony Rand of Fayetteville, the Senate majority leader ($1,000 in 2008), and former Sen. Oscar Harris, who was Perdue’s campaign treasurer ($500 in 2004).

Ciccone gave heavily to former Gov. Mike Easley and then backed Perdue’s Democratic primary rival, Richard Moore, before giving Perdue’s campaign $1,000 in late 2007.

David L. Burns of Laurinburg, an agribusiness executive, to succeed G.R. Kindley in Division 8. Burns supported Easley and gave Moore’s campaign $1,000 in 2007, but records show no contributions to Perdue.

Burlington Mayor Ronnie K. Wall, assistant superintendent for Burlington-Alamance schools, to succeed Tony Dennis of Norwood as at-large board member for government-related finance and accounting. Wall gave Perdue’s campaign $1,000.

Sam Halsey of Jefferson, to succeed Arnold Lakey in Division 11: Halsey, a Christmas tree farmer and retired auto dealer, was a major Easley backer. He gave Perdue $200 in 2000, when she ran for lieutenant governor, and $500 in March.

Stan White of Nag’s Head, reappointed to Division 1: White is a builder and Realtor, and his wife gave Perdue $6,000 in 2007 and 2008.

THE ANTI-CZAR CZAR: Rep. Patrick McHenry helped Republicans rail against President Barack Obama's "czars," which he says are making huge decisions and should be confirmed by the Senate. Democrats were quick to mention that a few years ago, McHenry met with President George W. Bush's drug czar. It may be time to appoint a special czar to sort out this czar mess.

CHEF U: The N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law has sued the state over its support for Johnson & Wales University, a private culinary and hospitality school in Charlotte. The center says the $10 million promised by then-House Speaker Jim Black amounted to little more than a patronage gift from Black, who went onto to federal prison fame. The school will argue that educating students is a public purpose. Dome expects testimony to focus on proper hollandaise preparation techniques. The case is a real potboiler.

BREAKER, BREAKER: A last-minute letter from Gov. Beverly Perdue sure got the attention of the N.C. Building Code Council, which voted to keep a special circuit breaker in the building codes.

IN OTHER NEWS: The real "Norma Rae" has died. Former Treasurer Richard Moore has taken a gig at a San Diego investment firm. An appeals court ruled that former Gov. Mike Easley was wrong to borrow highway money to shore up the state's finances.

Former State Treasurer and gubernatorial candidate Richard Moore works for a San Diego firm that helps companies increase their value.

Moore, a long-time fixture in Democratic politics, has been noticeably absent from campaigning for others and for himself since he lost the Democratic nomination for governor last year to Beverly Perdue.

In April, Moore became a managing director for Relational Investors, which advises large pension funds and invests in companies that are underperforming.

Hat tip: The Insider 

U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre has announced his plans to run for re-election, meaning another brand name Democrat is out to run against Repubilcan Sen. Richard Burr.

"I deeply appreciate the confidence and encouragement from many who have asked me to consider the U.S. Senate race," McIntrye wrote on his campaign Web site. "With the leadership positions I currently hold in the U.S. House, there is a greater opportunity to capitalize on these to benefit our constituents and the citizens of North Carolina."

McIntyre, a Lumberton Democrat, is seeking his seventh term in Congress. 

McIntyre leaves former state senator Cal Cunningham, lawyer Kenneth Lewis, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and former state Treasurer Richard Moore as possible candidates for Senate next year. 

Former state Sen. Cal Cunningham is sounding more and more like a U.S. Senate candidate.

The Lexington attorney recently sent out a letter to potential backers letting them know that he is continuing to look closely at seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat held by Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year, Rob Christensen reports.

"It is my goal to see if we can put together an issue-based, professional, independent and progressive campaign that would make you proud," Cunningham wrote in the letter.

"Before I ask you for your support," Cunningham wrote, "I need to make sure I can look you in the eye, show you a path for victory and tell you where I stand on the issues that really matter in the lives of our citizens."

Cunningham, who recently returned from Iraq as an Army lawyer, has been moving around the state exploring a possible Senate bid.

Also looking at the race is Kenneth Lewis, an Obama fund raiser from Durham. Other names being mentioned include N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, U.S. Reps. Mike McIntyre and Bob Etheridge and former state Treasurer Richard Moore.