Elections board has shed light

Fear the State Board of Elections.

That may be the one lesson learned by political figures who have been dragged before the board in recent years.

Starting Monday, the board will begin a hearing into the campaign finance activity of Gov. Mike Easley.

Dome has no way of knowing how the hearing will go. But over the past several years, the board has been a crucial player in shining the light on political shenanigans.

It's come a long way from the day 11 years ago when a hog farmer told the board "Kiss my [expletive] I'm not coming" when he was ordered to testify about political rough housing over fundraising.

Now, the board is recognized as a key agency in fighting corruption, according to Bob Hall, the director of the liberal-leaning Democracy NC.

"They have shed light on problems, they've exposed wrongdoing and they've documented problems in a way that not only points to specific wrongdoing, but also to policies that should be changed," Hall told reporter Joe Neff.

As political theater goes, next week's hearing will be the best show in the state, and The News & Observer's investigative and multimedia staff will be there with lots of coverage, images and analysis.

This weekend, the N&O's investigative team will bring you stories to help set the stage for the hearing. From that work, we'll tease out some highlights, a brief history of the State Board of Elections hearings in posts to follow.