RALEIGH – A fourth day of hearings Thursday in a North Carolina Board of Elections’ probe into alleged criminal wrongdoing by former Gov. Mike Easley began with a whimper and ended with a bang.

For nearly five hours, former N.C. Democratic Party executive director Scott Falmlen testified about the party’s fundraising and finances, often covering territory witnesses had explored in previous hearings, including topics discussed by Easley Wednesday.

Falmlen testified about a special account, which he called an “event code,” that Easley might have used to channel contributions through the state party to his campaign. Falmlen said it contained funds that the former governor raised for the party and was legal.

There was also a dispute over a memo Falmlen shared with the board outlining the Democratic Party’s fundraising strategy for the 2000 election cycle. Party officials claimed the memo contained “proprietary information” that should be shielded from the public. The board agreed with the party for now, even though media organizations have requested that the document be considered a public record.

It wasn’t until late afternoon — when the topic turned to flights and home repairs provided by longtime Easley friend and donor McQueen Campbell — that fireworks began again.

Campbell, who flew Easley on dozens of occasions both on official business and for personal trips, was picked by Easley in 2001 to serve on the N.C. State University Board of Trustees and reappointed in 2005. Campbell resigned under a cloud earlier this year after reports emerged that he arranged a job at N.C. State for Easley’s wife Mary at the governor’s request.

In closing statements, Easley’s attorney, Tommy Hicks, repeatedly referred to Campbell as a “young man” and that Campbell’s differing account of events connected to the former governor could become a criminal matter.

“Here we have a young man who has essentially become a sycophant to the former governor of the state who has been playing a shell game,” Hicks said.

Campbell testified Monday that Easley asked him to file a bogus invoice for repairs to his home. That same day, campaign volunteer Rebecca McGhee offered testimony appearing to corroborate Campbell’s account.

McGhee, who wrote checks for the campaign, verified that she flagged an invoice submitted by Campbell’s air travel company for “various flights” that had already occurred because it lacked documentation. She said Easley called her and ordered her to pay it.

Wednesday, Easley denied the conversation with Campbell took place, instead saying the invoice was meant to be advance payment for air travel that would be booked later.

Easley understood filing a false document would be a criminal matter, Hicks said, and that it was “absolutely ridiculous” to think he would do it. Easley didn’t become governor “by doing foolish things,” he said, but by “being very wise and careful about what he does.”

Hicks also turned a few heads by saying that Easley wants the elections board to refer the case to the Wake County district attorney for further investigation.

The hearing Thursday wrapped up with closing comments from the man who originally filed the complaint about Easley with the elections board — Bob Hall, executive director of Democracy North Carolina, a left-leaning election reform group.

Hall said he wasn’t convinced that Easley’s campaign and the Democratic Party hadn’t violated the law.

“The emperor has no clothes. There is just a suspension of belief that we’re asked to take, that I can’t take and I don’t think the public can take,” Hall said, adding that he was “bothered” by memos indicating a coordinated effort by Easley’s staff to potentially circumvent campaign finance laws.

“You have memos and a conscious plan to use the law to manipulate regulations,” Hall said.

David N. Bass is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.