First lady Mary Easley is using private money to pay state Sen. Tony Rand to be her attorney.
Rand, the Senate majority leader and a Fayetteville Democrat, has been representing Easley in her dealings with state Auditor Les Merritt, a Repbulican. A spokeswoman in the governor's office said Rand is not being paid with state funds.
Merritt released a report Thursday about two trips to Europe. In 2007, Easley and an assistant went to France. A year later, Easley and a delegation of state arts officials went to Russia and Estonia. The two trips cost taxpayers a total of $110,000. Merritt found that $45,000 worth of those expenses were unreasonable.
Merritt, who is seeking re-election, was criticized Thursday for releasing the report days before the election. He said it was only because he had tried for a month to ask Easley questions. Merritt released a list of his office's attempts.
The list shows that Merritt's staff and officials in the governor's office started trying to arrange an interview on Sept. 15. After agreeding to send questions by e-mail, Rand entered the picture on Oct. 10. On Oct. 13, Rand offerred to make his client available.
By then, Rand said, Merritt didn't want the interview.
Document(s):
Merritt_Easley_chronology.pdf
Comments
Easley, Rand and Perdue
November 1, 2008 - 2:27pm — Isaac136I think it's a strange move -- hiring Tony Rand. Doesn't it occur to the Easleys that hiring Rand to defend Mary Easley's spending just reinforces the concerns people have with the "same old" crowd running Raleigh?
It just seems to me that because of Perdue's close association with Rand, it makes it tougher for her to pitch herself as an alternative to the Democratic machine that has been running things for ever so long.
Re: Taxpayers not paying for first lady's lawyer
November 1, 2008 - 12:02pm — rapidtransitThis will all probably slip quietly away after the election. How quickly we forget.
Re: Taxpayers not paying for first lady's lawyer
November 1, 2008 - 8:48am — mickiep$180,000 state job, lavish trips to Europe, the finest Hotels and transportation that taxpayer money can buy, and a well connected lawyer to turn the light out. It certainly pays to have powerful and influential friends doesn't it Mrs. Easely. More caviar and champagne anyone???????
Opie, Andy, caviar and international travel.
November 1, 2008 - 5:30am — domewatcherAndy and Opie just can't seem to get enough North Carolina politics:
Opie: “Pa, the News and Observer said that Mary Easley had retained a lawyer in the travel gate deal.”
Pa: “I read that, Op. And let me tell you how proud I am of you for reading the News and Observer. They are fine newspaper people and sometimes give out baseball caps.”
Opie: “I read it everyday down at Floyd’s barber shop. You know, he cuts the Governor’s hair. I swept up the place for Floyd one day. Floyd gave me a quarter and let me keep a lock of the Governor‘s hair. I put it in the bottle with my tonsils.”
Pa: “Reading the News and Observer and sweeping floors. I’m right proud of you, son. Op, you’ll be successful one day. You might even get to sweep the floors at the News and Observer. And hold on to your tonsils and the guv‘s hair. You might sell it on eBay.”
Opie: “Pa, why does Ms. Mary need a lawyer?”
Pa: “Well, Op, sometimes people get lawyers to avoid any problems. You may need one yourself someday. Like when buying a house or making a will or……. if you enter politics and run some ads…… or even if you get a felony.”
Opie: “I’m trying to stay away from felonies, Pa.”
Pa: “Good, Op. And try to stay away from lawyers as long as you can too.”
Opie: “I will, Pa. And if I get to sweep the floors at the N & O I just might pick up some of the reporter’s hair.”
Pa: “Well, Op, I’d be careful about that. I know a lot of those boys are loosing their hair and what they still got they rarely wash. So be careful with unwashed hair. As a matter of fact, Op, I‘d be mighty careful of anything I picked up off the floor in a newspaper office.”
Opie: “I will, Pa. Did you call the Governor about me going on a European-museum tracking-exhibit hunting-shopping-wine tasting-flight missing-sightseeing-caviar tasting-hotel switching-ballet attending-jacket buying-trip in a Mercedes limo with driver, bus and State Trooper?”
Pa: “Not yet, Op. We’ll probably want to wait a while. They probably are shying away from any big trips right now. The heat is on for a while so they will be lying lower than a tick that crawls on an old sow’s belly…..until the heat dies down………and then you‘ll be eating cheeseburgers in a European paradise, Op.”
Opie: “Are they lying low because they ate caviar?”
Pa: “No, Op, because they got caught eating caviar……at lunch.”
Opie: “Are you supposed to eat caviar in secret, like when you and I sneak an extra piece of Aunt Bea’s chocolate cake?”
Pa: “Not exactly, Op. You see, in politics, things are different. Taking trips on taxpayer money is what is called a slippery slope.”
Opie: “Like when we go snow skiing at Grandfather Mountain?”
Pa: “Even more slippery. Now, Op, I’m gonna tell you something right straight out of the Bible. It says that what you do in the dark will come to the light.”
Opie: “Like shining a flashlight.”
Pa: “Yes, Op, just like that. In this case it’s the auditor who has the flashlight and he is shining into every little nook and cranny. To see what’s there.”
Opie: “So that’s what auditors are, people with flashlights?”
Pa: “Right, Op. They shine into the darkness and cast light where there was none.”
Opie: “I might want to be an auditor when I grow up. And look for caviar.”
Pa: “Stay away from felonies because the audit board don’t like no felonies.”
Opie: “I will, Pa. Now I’m gonna go and finish reading the N & O. I like reading the ‘Under the Dome’ section. It’s where the reporters write stuff and then all these whacko nutcases make stupid comments. It’s like a sideshow at the county fair.”
Bev - still waiting for your travel records
October 31, 2008 - 9:38pm — concerned53Beverly, when are you going to release your travel records from the past 8 years so that you can get the same treatment by the press and NC's voters as Mike and Mary Easley? You don't mind pointing out what McCrory did 8 years ago, so fess up.
This would be a perfect way to show how transparent you and your team are. But if you don't share them, we the citizens should not expect her to live up to her campaign promise of incredible transparency.
Media: If you know already what skeletons lie in her closet and you fail to make them public (you know which ones that I am talking about), you are as corrupt as Beverly is.
Re: Taxpayers not paying for first lady's lawyer
October 31, 2008 - 9:37pm — rsquared11So wait a minute. Beth Wood keeps trying to say she would be a "full-time" watchdog, trying to say Merritt is working on the side, yet its ok for Rand to be a senator and a lawyer?????
I'm so sick of the double standards!
How' s that? Re: Taxpayers not paying for first lady's lawyer
October 31, 2008 - 8:46pm — mike27513Mary "Uniquely Qualified" Easley is paid by state taxpayer funds to
"Perform" her mission critical job at the "Center" at NC STATE.
Governor Easley is paid by state taxpayers. Their lawyers will be paid from state funds just passing through the Easley's bank account.
So now we have multiple cases of corruption by the Easleys. The State Taxpayer pays for the corruption and their defense on way or another.
Re: Taxpayers not paying for first lady's lawyer
October 31, 2008 - 5:30pm — captainjacktypical junket of excessive spending for what purpose?
to find museum exhibits?
give me a break.