GOP group followed rules during primary, board says
Thursday, August 31st, 2006
By Chris Fitzsimon
Conservatives’ flier was illegal attack, ousted incumbent charged
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RALEIGH
The State Board of Elections dismissed a complaint yesterday against a Republican group accused of using mailings to attack GOP House members who had allied with Democrats at the General Assembly, determining that the group barely avoided breaking the law.
By a vote of 4-1, the board determined that Republican Legislative Majority of North Carolina, a so-called 527 group, didn’t violate the state law that requires disclosure of donations and expenditures for mailings that advocate expressly for a candidate.
One particular set of mailings with a baseball motif urged recipients to "call out" legislators but didn’t directly call for their defeat in the May 2 primary election, even though the legislators were named in the fliers, a majority on the board decided.
"Under the current status of the law, I believe they have operated within that law," Chairman Larry Leake said at the close of two days of hearings.
The board also unanimously found no evidence that the group coordinated its work with the incumbents’ challengers or the state Republican Party.
The complaint had been filed by the House speaker pro tem, Rep. Richard Morgan, R-Moore, one of the five incumbents targeted by the group and one of two along with Rep. Rick Eddins, R-Wake, who lost their races.
The series of mailers had highlighted their voting records on taxes, redistricting and a power-sharing agreement between Morgan and House Speaker Jim Black, D-Mecklenburg. (more…)
Last 5 posts in Daily News
- State pension fund slides - October 14th, 2008
- Voter registrations questioned - October 14th, 2008
- McCrory to Perdue: Ad is garbage - October 14th, 2008
- Gubernatorial candidates discuss health care reform - October 14th, 2008
- Forum focuses on how crime devastates community - October 14th, 2008
Email This Post
Print This Post
