UPDATED: The former chief of staff to House Speaker Thom Tillis filed papers to form a company that became his new government consulting business in early February -- weeks before he resigned under pressure after admitting to an romantic relationship with a lobbyist.
Charles Thomas filed documents reserving the name Third Reading, a limited liability company, with the Secretary of State's Office on Feb. 6. The company is now a government consulting firm.
Asked about the timing, Thomas said his business didn't become official until he received a tax identification number Monday. So why reserve it in February? "Because it's a cool name," Thomas said.
In the past, He said he has filed paperwork to create a company and not formally started the business.
But he acknowledges that he considered opening a government consulting firm upon leaving the speaker's office when the time came. "It's a logical thought process," he said. "There's very few that do this strategic level consulting."
Thomas resigned in April after being questioned by The News & Observer about a romantic relationship with a lobbyists for the N.C. Homebuilders Association.
House Speaker Thom Tillis, who has called the relationship "clearly inappropriate," addressed the matter in front of TV cameras for the first time Thursday. Reporters waited two hours outside his office to get less than two minutes of his time.
The Cornelius Republican ,who shared an apartment with Thomas, said he didn't know about Thomas' company until seeing a post on Facebook at the start of the week. "To my knowledge he filed for LLC but I don't think he did anything until he was officially severed from the state," Tillis said.
Addressing the controversy about severance payments to Thomas, Tillis didn't elaborate much beyond his statement earlier in the day.
"I stand by my statement," he said. "But given the broader context I do believe it's fair."
His statement: “In December of 2010 and January of 2011, Charles Thomas worked without pay and did not accept the State Health Plan benefits for himself or his family during his tenure as Chief of Staff. Amy Hobbs also worked without pay in January of 2011. They both accepted salaries below that of their peers in state government for a period of three months in early 2011 and were instrumental in overseeing the most time-efficient long session in modern history, saving thousands of taxpayer dollars. I accepted their resignations because their personal choices were not acceptable in my office. I recognized that their jobs and careers were forever affected by their choices, and that serious family obligations still existed for each of them. I stand by my decision to accept their resignation while recognizing the difficult transition period they are now entering.”
*This post has been updated to reflect imprecise wording in an earlier version.
Comments
I just hope the N&O has
May 18, 2012 - 9:02am — WilmingtonDemocratI just hope the N&O has those FOIA requests going to see all the official actions fast Charlie took for his soon to be clients. - that's gonna be the real scandal!
where's the outrage
May 17, 2012 - 10:41pm — auroradaveSo where's the outrage from Americans for Prosperity, the Tea Partiers and all the other self appointed watchdogs of the public's money on this one? You think there would be this much silence if the Guv had done this?
FAMILY VALUES PARTY
May 17, 2012 - 4:34pm — WilmingtonDemocratMaybe Charlie should do a third reading of his marriage vows.
family obligations?? HA!
May 17, 2012 - 4:32pm — outhousecatDid that idiot Tillis really say that each of them still have serious family obligations? Weren't they committing adultery?
If I were married to that pudgy bald guy Thomas, his main obligation would be paying me every red cent he has ever made or ever will.
Charles Thomas's Health Care Plan
May 17, 2012 - 3:47pm — PublicolaIn his official statement about Charles Thomas's severance pay, Thom Tillis said "Charles Thomas ... did not accept the State Health Plan benefits for himself or his family during his tenure as Chief of Staff."
In April of 2011, I asked Charles Thomas if he took part in the state health care program. (I was interested in his benefits package, in light of the fact that he had just gotten a 25% pay raise at a time when state employees' salaries had been frozen for three years.)
He told me that he declined to participate in the state health care plan. The reason, he told me, was that the state plan was inferior to his private health care plan.
It's awfully disingenuous, therefore, for Thom Tillis to imply that not being covered by the state health plan was a hardship for Charles Thomas. (It also gives the lie to Tom Apodaca's rants last year that state employees have a "Cadillac health care plan.")
Holy Cow! This must be an
May 17, 2012 - 3:26pm — WilmingtonDemocratHoly Cow! This must be an illegal act. I'm sure N&O staff has got to be sending in FOIA requests to see what he did in his last month for his firm's clients. I guarantee that as soon as he registers clients with the Secretary of State, you will find a nexus of official action taken by him and the Speaker's office.
On another front, how ironic is it that the Speaker who led the fight to get the Gay Marriage amendment on the ballot had staff who were busy violating it's very principles at the same time. God Bless the party of family values.
N&O - please follow through - I'm sure you will find official actions taken for Thomas's clients.