Merritt: Probe is being blocked

State Auditor Les Merritt says an ethics probe is being blocked.

On Thursday, he released an "interim report" accusing the State Ethics Commission of unlawfully blocking his staff's investigation into possible preferential treatment of Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue.

The report also backed findings by two other state agencies that found the commission lacked clear administrative policies and was strugling to perform its tasks.

Merritt, a Republican seeking re-election, said in a statement that his staff's report "paints a picture of potential destruction of evidence. I say 'potential' because the Commission is hiding facts from the public that may implicate or exonerate their past actions."

The investigation stems from a complaint from an office assistant who noted that a staffer for Perdue was allowed to review records alone in an office with the door closed. She was later fired after the N&O asked about the log. (N&O)