Easley's law license suspected for one more year

Former Gov. Mike Easley has reached a deal with the N.C. State Bar to have his law license suspended for one more year, a resolution that ends investigations stemming from controversies that surrounded Easley as he left office in early 2009.

Easley, a Democrat who was a two-term governor and state Attorney General before that, was convicted after a plea deal in late 2010 of committing a felony related to improper reporting by his campaign of a flight. Easley has been a lawyer since 1976.

The bar's general counsel, Katherine Jean, told a panel of three disciplinary hearing commissioners today that her office had investigated issues related to Easley and could not find that Easley had knowingly engaged in wrongful conduct. The bar is the state agency responsible for the discipline of lawyers in North Carolina.

Jean said Easley had "played no role in the preparation or the filing of the reports" that were part of his felony plea. Jean said that Easley had not signed the illegal campaign reports but had relied on his professional staff to do that.

Jean said that there is no evidence of "dishonest conduct" by Easley and that he is remorseful, findings the hearing commission accepted. Read the full story here.