Gov. Beverly Perdue said she trusts her son.

Asked about Garrett Perdue's recent attendance at the "Rush the Growler" event in Raleigh, the governor said she does not think he is lobbying, according to a story on WRAL:

"I'm not aware of the specific events, but Garrett assures me he's not lobbying in Raleigh, and I take his word for it," she said in a statement.

Garrett Perdue declined to comment, but Womble Carlyle spokesman Russell Thomas said he wasn't lobbying and attended the event solely because he knew others there.

"Garrett attended a social event – nothing more, nothing less," Thomas said.

State Rep. Leo Daughtry, a Johnston County Republican, told the station that Garrett Perdue's attendance was not "good judgment." 

Garrett Perdue has been spotted again. 

The son of Gov. Beverly Perdue was seen Wednesday at the 19th annual "Rush the Growler" party sponsored by the N.C. Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association.

The event is well attended by legislators, former legislators, staffers and lobbyists at the association's headquarters on Person Street behind the Governor's mansion.

What is "Rush the Growler"? During Prohibition, the "growler" was the jug or pail where they put the moonshine. When the person carrying the growler showed up at the party, it was rushed by the crowd.

Garrett Perdue is a lobbyist with Womble Carlyle, the state's largest law firm. Although he's been seen at the legislature and the N.C. Chamber's annual meeting, he and his firm have said he does not engage in state lobbying.

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan said today that federal prosecutor George Holding should stay on the job until investigations of former Sen. John Edwards and former Gov. Mike Easley are completed.

She said she has been in talks with the White House and that she wants to eliminate politics from the process of replacing a U.S. Attorney, Andy Curliss reports.

"It is not in North Carolina's best interest to replace" Holding right now, she said.

Holding is overseeing the two high-profile probes that have been the subject of recent news reports.

Her comments come a day after the resignation of one member of a three-person screening panel that Hagan established to winnow candidates for the top prosecutors' positions in North Carolina.

Locke Clifford, a criminal defense lawyer from Greensboro, stepped down on Tuesday but did not cite a reason. Hagan said he has not been involved in screening for a replacement of Holding.

The panel had been expecting to interview candidates last week and this one, according to the panel's chairman, Burley Mitchell. Mitchell is a former chief justice of the N.C. Supreme Court and now a lawyer at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice in Raleigh.

Clifford has not returned calls or made comments. But Clifford's vehicle was spotted at the Easley home on Tuesday.

Clifford was replaced with Jim Phillips.

Garrett Perdue is not registered as a federal lobbyist.

But lobbying law experts say he doesn't have to — until he has a client.

Under federal law, people who lobby Congress must register with the House Office of the Clerk and the Senate Office of Public Records within 45 days of starting work on behalf of a client.

Neither has a record of Garrett Perdue, son of Gov. Beverly Perdue and a lobbyist with the white-shoe law firm Womble Carlyle.

But Massie Ritsch, a spokesman for the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, said that could mean Perdue does not have any federal clients.

"Unless you have someone you're representing, there's no obligation to register as a lobbyist," he said.

Perdue, who was hired on Feb. 16, will have worked for Womble Carlyle for 45 days tomorrow.

Seven of the state's eight Democratic Congressmen say they have not heard from Perdue. 

What does Garrett Perdue do?

The son of Gov. Beverly Perdue has not spoken about his new job with Womble Carlyle, and a company spokesman would only say he would be lobbying the federal — and not the state — government.

A biography on the company Web site adds some details.

It says that Perdue works on economic development projects in the Southeast, collaborating with former Gov. Jim Hunt and working with corporate clients on "strategic planning, site selection and incentives negotiation."

In addition, he advocates for clients before federal and local government agencies. His strong ties to North Carolina's Congressional delegation give his clients a voice at the highest levels while his extensive connections with North Carolina's local elected officials benefit clients with city and county matters.

He belongs to the federal and state government affairs team.

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Garrett Perdue is out and about again.

The son of Gov. Beverly Perdue was spotted at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Durham today for the N.C. Chamber's annual meeting. He was seated at the Womble Carlyle table.

Among the speakers at the event was his mother. Former Gov. Mike Easley was on hand to receive an award, and Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton was also at the event.

No members of the Congressional delegation were on hand.

In mid-February, the younger Perdue was hired by Womble Carlyle, the state's largest law firm, to work with former Gov. Jim Hunt on economic development and government relations strategy.

The firm was insistent that he would not be doing any lobbying in Raleigh, though Perdue was recently spotted at the legislature for unexplained reasons.

He is not currently registered as a lobbyist with the N.C. Secretary of State or the U.S. Senate.

Have you seen Garrett Perdue at a state political event? E-mail dome@newsobserver.com.

A record $22 million was spent lobbying the state in 2007.

According to data compiled by the nonpartisan Democracy North Carolina, nearly 900 businesses, trade associations and nonprofits lobbied state officials in 2007, the last long session of the state legislature.

That amounts to nearly $125,000 for each of the 170 legislators.

The $19.5 million in compensation for individual lobbyists was $5 million more than reported in 2005, but executive director Bob Hall said that may be because we know more.

"That big a jump is largely due to the state's new ethics law that requires more groups to file more complete reports about more of their activities," he said.

The top lobbying groups were the N.C. Association of Realtors, which reported spending $972,384 on six lobbyists and other expenses; Land for Tomorrow, $403,092 on three lobbyists; and the N.C. Automobile Dealers Association, $287,959 on four lobbyists.

The highest-paid lobbyists were former state Sen. Steve Metcalf of Asheville, who reported $485,362 in compensation; former Secretary of State Rufus Edmisten, $396,764; and Alexander "Sandy" Sands of Womble Carlyle, $325,055.

Garrett Perdue, lobbyist and son of Gov. Beverly Perdue, won't say why he was at the legislature two weeks ago.

The younger Perdue was hired as a lobbyist for Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice, the state's largest law firm, in February, one month after his mother was sworn in as governor. He previously worked there as an associate.

A Womble Carlyle spokesman at the time emphasized that Garrett Perdue would not deal with state government.

"He won't be doing any lobbying in Raleigh," Womble Carlyle spokesman Russell Thomas said then.

So why was he spotted at the legislature? Perdue did not return emails or voicemails left on his office and cell phones, all asking about his visit.

Thomas declined to comment Thursday.

DEPRESSING STIMULANT: Gov. Beverly Perdue said the federal stimulus package is still about $150 million short. She plans to use $780 million from the feds to patch the state's $2 billion budget hole, with longtime go-to guy Dempsey Benton overseeing the state's spending. Still, she's going to have to dig a little deeper.

HEALTH PLAN BAILOUT?: Smoking and overeating could get more expensive for state employees. A proposal to keep the state health plan solvent would force smokers and the obese to enroll in the costliest coverage option. Pass the Nicorette and hold the donuts, please.

BAD NEWS FOR STUDENTS: The escheats fund sounds like something that would get you kicked out of school. But it actually helps students go — for now. State Treasurer Janet Cowell warned that the little-known fund for forgotten insurance policies and utility deposits is running dry, which could mean cuts to college scholarships it pays for.

CARD CHECK ... PLEASE? U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan may now have to pay her union dues. Although known as a pro-business Democrat in the legislature, she won labor's backing to the tune of $200,000 last year after pledging to support a "card check" bill that would make unionization easier. Now her vote in Congress could prove crucial to the bill's chances.

IN OTHER NEWS: Perdue's son, Garrett, joins Raleigh law firm as a lobbyist. Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge, Rice and Perdue? Nah, too long. ... The head of the N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association says it will not oppose a smoking ban as written. Look for tobacco lobbyists to try to change the ban's wording. ... Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton didn't get his extra $63 a day for acting as governor while Perdue was on vacation, according to the state controller. No word on whether he turned down tips too.