If the U.S. attorney in the Eastern District were a hunter, he'd have some nice trophies.

Over the past eight years, federal prosecutors based in Raleigh have taken down some big Democratic game as part of their anti-corruption efforts.

A short list:

Meg Scott Phipps. The former Agriculture commissioner spent three years in prison for fraud and extortion over inappropriate use of campaign funds.

Jim Black. The former longtime speaker of the N.C. House is serving time for taking $29,000 in bribes from chiropractors who wanted him to push legislation.

Michael Decker. The former state representative is serving time for taking more than $63,000 in cash and campaign checks from Black to switch parties.

Frank Ballance. The former Congressman is serving time for diverting $100,000 in public money he helped direct to a nonprofit to his law firm, church and family.

Garey Ballance. The son of Rep. Ballance, a Democratic district court judge, served time for failing to report money he received from his father to buy a Lincoln Navigator.

Kevin Geddings. The former state lottery commissioner is serving time for failing to disclose that he worked for a lottery vendor when he took his seat.

The U.S. attorney's office may have also helped investigate former Rep. Thomas Wright, who was found guilty in state courts of improperly spending campaign donations, though it has never confirmed or denied the assistance.

Not all of their targets were Democrats, either. Federal prosecutors also put former state GOP chairman and former U.S. attorney Sam Currin in prison for laundering money for a client.

Kieran Shanahan hopes the next U.S. attorneys keep the focus on corruption.

The Raleigh lawyer, who worked as an assistant U.S. attorney from 1984 to 1989, notes that federal prosecutors have played an important role in rooting out corruption in North Carolina.

Shanahan, a Republican, points to the successful prosecutions of former Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps, former Speaker Jim Black and former Reps. Michael Decker and Thomas Wright, all Democrats.

"The one watchdog for the people of North Carolina has been prosecutors in the Eastern District," he said. "It would be a disappointment if they did not continue that effort."

Shanahan said that federal prosecutors are "uniquely equipped" to handle corruption investigations because they are politically insulated, have larger budgets and nationwide subpoena powers and can empanel investigative grand juries, a power that state and local prosecutors do not have.

He noted that U.S. attorneys often have different priorities in Republican and Democratic administrations, saying he expects the next prosecutors to focus more on cases involving white collar crime and environmental regulations.

"I think this administration might be more inclined to go after business," he said.

John McCain cast himself as the underdog Monday.

In a rally attended by 2,500 people at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, the Republican presidential candidate said that Democrat Barack Obama is "measuring the drapes" in the White House.

"Friends, we got them just where we want them," he said. "What America needs in this hour is a fighter." (N&O)

The event had originally been billed as a "town hall meeting" where voters could ask questions, and McCain said in his speech that he would take questions. But when he finished his speech, speakers blared the theme from "Rocky." 

McCain shook hands with several members of the crowd, then left for two television interviews. (GN-R) 

A banner that read "NO BAMA!" was briefly posted outside that showed images of Obama, Osama bin Laden and former state Rep. Thomas Wright. It was unclear who posted it and it was quickly taken down. (W-SJ)

Beulaville artist Rodney Hall lined up oversized portraits of McCain, Obama and a number of former presidents along a fence across from the college. Some attendees lined up for snapshots between the portraits. (WS-N)

Some Republicans worry that state ethics problems may not sway voters.

With another former Democratic legislator in jail, an $80,000 pay raise for the wife of Gov. Mike Easley and a mental health system in turmoil, it might seem like an ideal time to argue for change in state government.

But some say it may not be enough.

"Raleigh scandals, like state government operations themselves, are of less importance [to voters] than the car wreck down the street and the son or daughter shipping off to Afghanistan," said Joel Raupe, an assistant to the Republican leadership in the state House. "Somewhere in between, what is happening in Raleigh gets lost."

Still, both Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory and Democrat Beverly Perdue used a forum Tuesday as a chance to seize the mantle of reformer.

McCrory seemed frustrated by the difficult of focusing voters on such incidents as former Democratic state Rep. Thomas Wright being sent to prison after being convicted of public corruption or Easley's pay raise.

"Where is the outrage?" he said. (N&O)

Joe Sinsheimer says more change is needed at the General Assembly.

The former Democratic campaign consultant released a statement Wednesday on the conviction of former state Rep. Thomas Wright. Sinsheimer filed the initial complaint against the Wilmington Democrat in December 2006 with the State Board of Elections.

Here's his statement:

Thomas Wright's latest felony conviction is a sad end to a once promising political career.

Wright seems to have been undone by the same toxic combination of arrogance, hubris and greed that led to the downfall of former Speaker Jim Black. The indictments and convictions will continue until either the leadership of the General Assembly decides to change the culture of the institution or voters adopt a 'throw-the-bums-out' mentality.

Neither seems imminent, although both would be welcome.

Several lawmakers are subjects of ongoing investigations. The State Board of Elections is investigating a complaint about Sen. Julia Boseman, a Wilmington Democrat, and it has been reviewing the campaign finances of several Mecklenburg County Democrats in response to an investigation by The Charlotte Observer.

The House of Representatives voted in March to expel Wright from office, the first expulsion since the 19th century.

Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated whether any lawmakers are under investigation.

Wake District Attorney Colon Willoughby says he wanted to bring Thomas Wright's case full circle.

Speaking to reporters after a jury found the former lawmaker guilty of obstruction of justice, Willoughby was asked how the public benefited from the trial if Wright received no extra prison time.

He replied that Wright's campaign finance irregularities were the original reason investigators started looking into the Wilmington Democrat. Only then did they find other reasons to charge him with fraud, which Wright was convicted of in April.

"I think that was the original reason that these cases came about," Willoughby said of the obstruction of justice charge.

Wright's attorney Doug Harris told reporters that Judge Donald Stephens took away any chance for a "not guilty" verdict.

"It was impossible to win based on the instructions the jury was given," he said.

Harris also renewed his argument that the charge of obstruction of justice didn't fit Wright's crimes related to campaign finances.

"He should have been charged with that misdemeanor, and he should have pleaded guilty to that misdemeanor," Harris said. "You must charge according to what the crime is."

Willoughby called for tougher penalties for campaign finance violations.

A Wake County jury has found Thomas Wright guilty of felony obstruction of justice.

Judge Donald Stephens announced the verdict at 11:53 a.m. Wednesday, after about two and a half hours of deliberation Tuesday and Wednesday.

Sentencing is set to begin.

UPDATE: Wright's attorney Doug Harris said he intends to appeal.

UPDATE II: Stephens sentenced Wright to six to eight months in state prison, to run concurrently with his existing prison term. Wright will not serve extra time for the conviction.

UPDATE III: Wake District Attorney Colon Willoughby did not call for consecutive sentences, which would have meant more prison time. "I don't think it's in the state's interests to extend the time of his incarceration," Willoughby said.

The jury in Thomas Wright's criminal trial needed help with a definition.

"Can we have the definition of 'intent to defraud'?" they asked in a note read aloud by Judge Donald Stephens in Wake Superior Court.

The phrase is not defined in state law, Stephens told lawyers in the case, so the judge had to crack open Black's Law Dictionary and fashion its entry to fit the Wilmington Democrat's case.

Stephens told jurors that the phrase means "to deceive another person" and to induce that person "to give up something or to forgo something." In Wright's case, he said, the "something" is the proper enforcement of campaign finance laws.

Wright's lawyer Doug Harris objected to mentioning campaign finance laws because "it effectively instructs the jury how to apply it to the case." Stephens replied that he wanted to avoid confusing the jury.

Stephens included the phrase "intent to defraud" as an element in felony obstruction of justice, one of three possible findings for jurors. It is not an element in misdemeanor obstruction of justice.

The jury resumed deliberations at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday.

The Wake County jury sitting in judgment of Thomas Wright deliberated for 50 minutes Tuesday before leaving about 5 p.m.

Jurors are due back at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday to resume deliberations.

Wright, a Wilmington Democrat and former House member, is charged with obstruction of justice in connection with $150,350 in campaign contributions that he failed to disclose. He is already serving a state prison sentence for a conviction in April on three fraud charges.

Jurors have three options: guilty of felony common-law obstruction of justice, guilty of misdemeanor common-law obstruction of justice or not guilty. A misdemeanor conviction could add as much as 45 days to his prison sentence. A felony conviction, which requires intent or malice, could add as much as 15 months depending on state sentencing guidelines.

The jury has 11 women and one man.

NOTE: Investigators have at times said that Wright did not disclose $185,000 in campaign contributions. The $150,350 figure comes from a narrower list of contributions, and it is the number that was presented to the jury.

Both the prosecution and the defense have rested in Thomas Wright's second criminal trial.

Closing arguments are set to begin Tuesday afternoon in Wake Superior Court, to be followed by instructions to the jury and jury deliberations.

The Wilmington Democrat and former House member is charged with obstruction of justice for failing to disclose more than $100,000 in campaign contributions. A conviction could add at least four months to his prison sentence on three fraud convictions.

Wright's attorney Doug Harris presented no evidence. He told reporters Monday after court that he had seen nothing from prosecutors he wanted to respond to.

Wake District Attorney Colon Willoughby called four witnesses: two investigators and two people from Wilmington who had worked with Wright's campaign finances.

Following the testimony, Judge Donald Stephens ruled against a motion by Harris to dismiss the case.