A federal grand jury Thursday handed down new charges in the corruption case against former Gov. Mike Easley’s longtime legal counsel Ruffin Poole.

Poole, a top aide during Easley’s two terms as governor, now is indicted (PDF download) on 57 charges. He faces three new counts of income tax evasion and three of use of facilities in interstate commerce in aid of racketeering, both having a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Poole was scheduled to face arraignment in federal court Thursday afternoon, but the new charges delayed it.

“It’s my view that an arraignment right now would be premature,” said U.S. District Court Judge Terrence Boyle from the bench.

The new charges come on the heels of a move by Poole’s attorney to have the entire case dismissed. Joseph Zeszotarski, of the law firm Poyner Spruill, argued in motions filed last week that the charges didn’t match the allegations in the case.

Zeszotarski previously has tried to delay the trial’s start date, tentatively scheduled for April 26, to late summer. He tried again Thursday, arguing that the new income tax charges complicated the case even more since the defense team would have to hire a tax expert.

“I can’t even get my own [Certified Public Accountant] to call me back,” Zeszotarski said. “CPAs just aren’t available until after April 15.”

On Jan. 21, a grand jury indicted Poole on 51 corruption counts, including extortion, bribery, and money laundering.

The indictment alleges that Poole, called the “go-to guy in the governor’s office,” helped Easley donors expedite environmental permits for coastal developments. In return, the indictment says Poole received free flights, gifts, and opportunities to invest in those developments — none of which he reported on ethics disclosures as required by law.

Also this week, the Easley campaign paid $5,300 out of a $100,000 fine imposed by the state Board of Elections in October, partly for free flights the former governor failed to disclose on campaign finance reports. The campaign is bankrupt and apparently won’t be able to pay the remaining portion of the fine.

Poole and his attorney declined to comment while leaving the federal courthouse in Raleigh.

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