An office assistant at the State Ethics Commission has raised questions about its own ethics.
Ten months ago, Amanda Thaxton made a notation in a public records log when an aide to Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue was allowed to review her financial disclosure forms alone.
The Perdue aide "reviewed files in ... office alone with door closed," she typed into an electronic log.
Six months later, Kathleen Edwards, the assistant director who let the Perdue aide review the records, found the notation and removed it. Last month, after an N&O reporter asked about the log, executive director Perry Newson fired Thaxton, giving no reason.
"I think it was probably more than coincidence," she said.
The state auditor's office is investigating the incident. (N&O)
Comments
Re: Questions raised about ethics-Role of Bev?
August 8, 2008 - 1:35pm — concerned53The N&O article lists some key players but leaves an important one out: our current Lt. Gov Bev Perdue. I am as concerned about her role in this series of events as I am the Ethics Commission for the following reasons:
- Cole & Perdue were in fact acting on their own best interests as for two years she misrepresented her financial statements and as a result, criminal charges could (or maybe should) be filed. How about IRS concerns? What conflicting votes did she oversee during that time that now would be called into question?
- As an "attorney", Cole should have known better than to review documents behind a closed door in an ethics office (unless he really needed to it for Bev - should we take his word for it that he has told us everything that he did that day?)
- Did anyone apply political pressure on Edwards months after the fact to delete the notations. Could it have been Cole or Perdue that were trying to cover their footsteps during an election year?
Where there's smoke, there is often fire. This is just another example of corrupt and unethical practices by the democrats in Raleigh and a specific case where Bev Perdue is in the middle of it. The N&O should not stop now but get to the bottom of not just the Ethics Commission problem, but the Perdue angle as well. Do we want her to be our next Governor as it looks like we would get more of the same corrupt government in Raleigh? She's one of them!
Re: Questions raised about ethics at commission
August 8, 2008 - 11:47am — Isaac136Disturbing story.
Even with the best possible light on Newson's and Edwards' actions, the way this looks is bad, bad bad.
One of the functions of the Ethics Commission is to help public servants avoid even the appearance of impropriety.
This story will cause every person who has had an issue before this Ethics Commisison to wonder whether his or her concern was heard with political foxes in charge of the hen-house.
Re: Questions raised about ethics at commission
August 8, 2008 - 9:57am — mickiepOne Party rule is not good for North Carolina; it encourages corruption.
Bev Purdue and her entrenched cronies will only offer more of the same
to the taxpayers of North Carolina.
Bev Perdue=Corruption Queen
August 8, 2008 - 8:41am — CdicksonThis is part and parcel of the Jim Black/Marc Basnight/Easley/Phipps/Ballance/Perdue corruption machine. North Carolina needs a change. I'm starting to think there are going to be a lot of Obama/McCrory ballots cast.