Harrell's campaign finances scrutinized

The State Board of Elections is conducting an audit of campaign expenditures by Rep. Ty Harrell, a Raleigh Democrat. 

Gary Bartlett, the board's executive director, said the audit was a routine procedure when the board's staff finds incomplete or insufficient information.

"We're asking for more details on the expenditures," Bartlett said.

The latest campaign report was filed over the summer, the middle of a non-election year, when there is minimal campaign activity.

"They indicated they had concerns about campaign activity in the off-year election cycle," Harrell said Wednesday.

More after the jump.

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Harrell's report showed 165 expenditures from January through June, of which all but 17 were listed as events such as "donor recruitment, volunteer meeting, strategy meeting or a similar category." Of the 36 expenditures of more than $50 and requiring detailed information, 27 were to restaurants.

"The meetings that I had were with folks that we talked about my reelect, about putting together the infrastructure to run for higher office," Harrell said. "These were multiple meetings that took place with different people at different times."

By comparison, another Wake legislator, Rep. Grier Martin, a Democrat, had 26 expenditures total, none of which were to restaurants. Martin's district is not as competitive as Harrell's. Rep. Alice Graham Underhill, a New Bern Democrat, has one of the most competitive districts in the state. She listed 38 expenditures, none to a restaurant.