ethics

Perdue mulls ethics policy

bniolet — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:45:11 -0500

Gov. Bev Perdue says her staff is exploring a policy that would give the boot to appointees under indictment.

Perdue, a Democrat, was responding to a letter sent by Democratic consultant and watchdog Joe Sinsheimer. The letter called on Perdue to unappoint Ruffin Poole from the Golden LEAF board because Poole refused to testify at a State Board of Elections hearing on former Gov. Mike Easley.

Perdue said her staff is looking into a policy that would remove a gubernatorial appointee who is under indictment or refuses to cooperate with an investigation.

"Like all of us who have the honor of serving in government, those who serve on state boards and committees must be held to high standards," Perdue wrote in her response to Sinsheimer.

Sinsheimer also called on Perdue to release all reports on missing gubernatorial travel records from 2005. Perdue has so far refused to release the records. She wrote that she has appointed a panel to look into the missing records and when the that investigation is complete she would release all records.

Document(s):
Perdue letter.pdf

Watchdog wants reforms

bniolet — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:20:41 -0500

Campaign finance watchdog Joe Sinsheimer is urging Gov. Bev Perdue to remove Ruffin Poole, a former top aide to Gov. Mike Easley, from the Golden LEAF board because he refused to testify at last month's state elections board hearing.

Sinsheimer, a Democratic political consultant who has emerged as an advocate of transparent government and campaign finance reforms, also said Perdue should release all reports on missing gubernatorial travel records from 2005, J. Andrew Curliss reports on the Investigations blog.

Perdue has so far refused to release the records.

In addition, he asks for a review of the permitting process surrounding a controversial cement plant near Wilmington, citing ongoing revelations about the state's environmental agency.

There was no immediate response from Perdue.

Update: A spokeswoman for Perdue said this afternoon that the governor is reviewing the letter and did not have a detailed response about Poole.

Document(s):
Sinsheimer_letter.pdf

Shuler cleared by ethics committee

bniolet — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:34:17 -0500

The House ethics committee on Thursday cleared Rep. Heath Shuler of any wrongdoing for his role in a land deal.

Shuler, a Waynesville Democrat has been dealing with questions about whether he used his office improperly to influence the Tennessee Valley Authority over a land swap. The House ethics committee cleared Shuler and was the third investigative body to find no wrong-doing, Shuler's office notes. In a statement, Shuler said he was ready to move on with his job of representing his constituents.

Throughout my personal and professional life I have always held myself to the highest possible ethical standard. I maintained that standard through all my interactions with the TVA relating to Blackberry Cove. I have never and will never attempt to use my office for personal gain and look forward to continuing to work on behalf of the people of Western North Carolina.

Fetzer: corruption began in '77

bniolet — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:05:23 -0500

N.C. Republican Party Chairman Tom Fetzer says he believes the genesis for the current run of corruption in state government began in 1977, when the state changed the Constitution to allow governors to serve two consecutive terms.

That prompted the legislature to end its practice of limiting leaders leaders of both chambers to serving only one term, Rob Christensen reports. Powerful lawmakers could then hold onto power.

"I trace the end of good government back to 1976 when Jim Hunt changed the Constitution to succeed himself," Fetzer told News and Observer editors and reporters Wednesday. (Hunt was elected in 1976 but the Constitution was changed in 1977.) "I would personally advocate that we pass a constitutional amendment to get the governor back to one term."

Fetzer said he was saddened to see the campaign finance investigations surrounding former Democratic Gov. Mike Easley, noting that he often chatted with Easley while hitting balls on a public driving range off Yonkers Road on Sunday afternoons.

"On a personal level," Fetzer said, "I like Mike Easley. I think he has made some horrible mistakes. I think he and State of North Carolina are going to pay a price for those mistakes. I think that is sad."

Perdue happy with DOT reforms

bniolet — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:41:20 -0400

Gov. Beverly Perdue says she is happy with her transportation secretary's efforts to take politics out of road building.

Dome asked the governor, through a spokeswoman, to respond to calls from Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger to have Transportation Board member Lanny Wilson withdraw from board business.

Wilson testified during a State Board of Elections hearing that he wrote checks to the N.C. Democratic Party that he believed would be forwarded on to former Gov. Mike Easley's campaign.

Perdue did not comment on Wilson specifically, but said Transportation Secretary Gene Conti was succeeding in removing politics from the department's decisions.

"The governor continues to move toward a more transparent state government, and she commends Secretary Conti for all he has done with the DOT and its Board to take politics out of the planning and decision making processes," said Chrissy Pearson, a spokeswoman for Perdue.

Merritt: Ethics board has no teeth

bniolet — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:57:52 -0400

Former state Auditor Les Merritt said the N.C. State Ethics Commission has failed to keep government clean.

In an opinion piece published in the Fayetteville Observer, Merritt writes that the commission has been silent as multiple investigations focus on former Gov. Mike Easley.

However, in nearly three years of existence, the commission has done little to tackle real ethics issues in our state. Not a single resolution of note has come as a result of any Ethics Commission investigation, even though several dozen complaints have been submitted or referred. For example, the media have reported that former Gov. Mike Easley allegedly failed to disclose a seemingly inappropriate relationship on his Statement of Economic Interest, but this went undetected (or perhaps unchallenged) by the Ethics Commission.

Meanwhile, a Board of Elections investigation continues into alleged campaign finance violations by Easley, as well as a federal grand jury investigation of how his wife obtained her position (and subsequent 80 percent raise) at North Carolina State University.

None of these issues appears to have been surfaced or investigated by the Ethics Commission.

Marshall adopts gift ban

bniolet — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:42:52 -0400

Secretary of State Elaine Marshall will extend Gov. Beverly Perdue's ban on gifts to the Secretary of State's office.

Perdue's gift ban, which applied to employees in her administration, came after revelations that Verizon Business plied state employees with dinners and gifts. The company has a $51.5 million, no-bid contract with the state.

Marshall said in a statement Monday that her office already bans gifts in certain circumstances. She praised Perdue's order, which is a sweeping ban on gifts to employees.

"The people of North Carolina deserve to know that their state government is operating in unison to reject gifts from those seeking to do business with the state, as well as gifts that could even create any appearance of conflict of interest."

DOJ reviewing ethics policies

bniolet — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:16:29 -0400

The N.C. Department of Justice is reviewing its gift rules.

"We're currently reviewing our policies to see what additions need to be made," Noelle Talley, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Roy Cooper, said in an e-mail.

Talley said many of the department's employees, particularly lawyers, already have to abide by professional ethics rules.

Berger: Be ethical or lose your pension

bniolet — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:51:32 -0400

Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger says that state employees will remain ethical if the consequence for breaches is a loss of their pensions.

Berger, an Eden Republican, said in a news release Friday that he intends to introduce a bill that would do just that. Berger issued his release the day after Gov. Beverly Perdue, a Democrat, banned gifts to state employees in her administration.

Berger said public corruption is a consequence of the fact that Democrats have dominated state politics for years. Berger, who is helping lead a Republican charge to win legislative seats, took pains not to offend state employees with his pitch.

"I plan to introduce legislation requiring any state employee convicted of taking illegal gifts or other corruption related charges to forfeit their pension, just like elected officials. 99.9 percent of state employees are working hard for the people of this state and they do not deserve to have their reputations ruined by the few who are not doing the right thing," Berger said.

No gifts for Ag employees

lbonner — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:28:46 -0400

State Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler doesn't want department employees taking gifts from contractors, either.

The agriculture department intends to "comply with the spirit and intent" of the executive order Gov. Beverly Perdue signed Thursday, said Brian Long, a department spokesman.

The department is going to tell employees not to take gifts, but some of the details Perdue laid out in her order, such as getting everyone to certify in writing that they know about the ban, may present logistical problems and take time to accomplish, Long said.

"The intent of the order is certainly something we're going to comply with," Long said. "Certainly, we should not be taking gifts."