Berger: Appoint special prosecutor


Phil BergerThe Senate's Republican leader wants a special prosecutor to look into former Gov. Mike Easley's dealings.

Sen. Phil Berger, a Rockingham County Republican, called for an investigator to look into recent reports from the N&O that Easley took at least 25 flights on private jets in violation of state campaign finance laws and that his family drove cars owned by dealers.

Berger said an independent investigator was needed because of what he called a lack of action by Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper, who is widely considered to be mulling a run for U.S. Senate.

"The silence from North Carolina's chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Roy Cooper, regarding these serious allegations is deafening," Berger said in a statement. "But we should not be surprised since most of those under scrutiny are Democrats and he will not risk offending them while seeking their support for a possible U.S. Senate campaign."

He said a special prosecutor would be "free from political pressures" and "conflicts of interest."

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Re: Berger: Appoint special prosecutor

What really strikes me as most humorous is the fact that the liberals have not come to aid the names of Cooper or Easley. And to think that Cooper went all the way to DC to be wooed by Obama...not going to work...

Re: Berger: Appoint special prosecutor

N&O where have you been? This is OLD news reported by the Carolina Journal ages ago. Good job though Phil Berger. N&O - the folks now leading the Democrat party make Easley look like a saint. Show some backbone and investigate a sitting Democrat for a change. Mr. Cooper is a joke, but surely a leading graduate of the Janet Reno school of CYA.

Us Attorney George Holding will get the job done

We dont need to pay for a special prosecutor - we have a United States district Attorney - his name is George Holding. He has already prosecuted Phipps, Ballance and Black. We just need for Hagan and Obama to leave him on the job.

Re: Berger: Appoint special prosecutor

"Right now the only nickname that fits is Roy "Cover Up" Cooper."

LOL Its more like 'Cowering Cooper' He's probably under his desk cowering everytime the N&O is delivered.

Keep it up Andy!

Re: Berger: Appoint special prosecutor

I'd love to see sleasley, cooper and perdue in the clink, but c'mon I think I'd prefer to see my tax refund before 2010....

"Special" prosecutor... oxymoron or just moron

About Time

I'm glad somebody is finally pointing out that Cooper's dereliction of duty is directly related to his political aspirations.

Cooper needs to wake up and realize that the best way to gain support for a run for Senate is to stop kissing the behinds of the elected crooks that run his party and instead throw a few of them in jail.

Maybe a little political pressure will force him to prove he's a prosecutor that will defend the public interest instead of his partisan pals's interests.

Right now the only nickname that fits is Roy "Cover Up" Cooper.

Re: Berger: Appoint special prosecutor

In all fairness to the current NC Attorney General, WRAL-5 just published "Ask Anything: Roy Cooper". It's all there: Hard-hitting wiffle-ball journalism at its finest. http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5127876/

Re: Berger: Appoint special prosecutor

Tony Rands son,who is up for a federal judgeship, would make a great special prosecutor-we would get to the bottom of this once and for all and my guess discover there was really nothing to this and Easley was unfairly accused by partisan republicans-and he has suffered because now his lot at Cannosgate is worth what he paid for it-now that is justice-and he had to buy those cars-now if his wife can just get a raise for all the hard work she does at NCSU-

Re: Berger: Appoint special prosecutor

We finally have the checks and balances at work. As busy as they are in the legislature, its commendable that Senator Berger has the fortitude to speak out and request a special prosecutor. So...who is he asking?

Senator Berger's right on about 'Deadbeat Roy' and the slithering dems. Cooper can forget about any more politcal ambitions. He's proven he can't handle tough situations when the job he was elected to requires it.

'We won't be fooled again'. Listening Mr. Cooper?

Re: Berger: Appoint special prosecutor

I applaud Sen. Berger. Come on folks, this is election law 101. Any first year law student could tell you these are clear violations of campaign finance laws.

Great job N&O!

Re: Berger: Appoint special prosecutor

Good for you Sen. Berger. If we wait for our AG Cooper to investigate we will be long gone. We need an outside prosecutor to look into this. Ideally even someone from outside the state. That person also needs to look not just at Easley but also Cooper. Can anyone tell me why the N&O is not covering in more detail the law suit against Cooper?

Re: Berger: Appoint special prosecutor

Senator Berger needs to speak up about how and why the UNC
Boards of Trustees are packed with sport booster clubs members
which allow the booster clubs to control hiring and firing
of state employees.

Re: Berger: Appoint special prosecutor

Thank you, Sen. Berger, for stepping forward. It is a measure of the state of affairs in North Carolina that you had to make the call.

Hopefully all will remember the silence of Attorney General Roy Cooper next time we go to the polls.

Gov. Perdue dodged the questions yesterday of the "missing records" from 2005. It seems clear we cannot count on her to help get to the bottom of the Easleys mess.

Re: Berger: Appoint special prosecutor

I agree with Senator Berger that Cooper has proved to be very lax in his efforts towards this case. This is not the first case in which he has adopted this approach.

The sad thing is that the North Carolina taxpayers' will have to foot the costs of this special prosecutor, because Roy Cooper refuses to do his job due to his political aspirations.