An earmark watchdog says Rep. G.K. Butterfield's requests may be overstated.

Steve Ellis, vice president of the nonpartisan Taxpayers for Common Sense, said that his group generally defines earmarks as budget appropriations that would benefit a business, nonprofit, local government or university a member of Congress represents.

It does not include broader program requests that benefit multiple groups.

"Asking for a billion dollars in Justice Department grants is not an earmark," he explained. "Asking for $15,000 to buy Mag-Lites for your local police department is."

Still, he said many members of Congress included those requests in the earmarks lists they posted on their Web site over the weekend.

That would appear to include Butterfield, who asked for $1.9 billion in Virginia-class submarines, $807 million in aircraft carriers and $127 million in carrier refueling overhauls, among other large military spending requests.

The inclusion of those big-ticket items skews Butterfield's requests, which totaled $7.3 billion — or nearly four times as much as the rest of the North Carolina delegation.

U.S. Rep. David Price was North Carolina's top solo earmarker.

According to a database compiled by the nonprofit Taxpayers for Common Sense, the Chapel Hill Democrat was singlehandedly responsible for $24.3 million in earmarks in this year's spending bills.

He was followed by Reps. Heath Shuler ($14.9 million), Bob Etheridge ($11.2 million), Robin Hayes ($8.6 million) and Virginia Foxx ($7.6 million).

At the bottom of the list, Rep. G.K. Butterfield, who was responsible for just $856,000 in solo earmarks.

The list shift slightly if you include earmarks requested along with other members of Congress. On that list, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole is top with $147.8 million, followed by Sen. Richard Burr ($116.2 million), Price ($90.1 million), Hayes ($43.8 million) and Rep. Mike McIntyre ($32.6 million).

Butterfield still comes in last, with $8.2 million.

Click below for North Carolina earmarks or here for the complete spreadsheet.