Former Gov. Mike Easley’s top aide and right-hand man, Ruffin Poole, pleaded not guilty to 57 corruption counts in federal court Monday, ensuring that prosecutors’ case against the 38-year-old Raleigh lawyer will go to trial.

Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge Terrence Boyle, Poole answered “not guilty” to a laundry list of charges, including racketeering, income tax evasion, bribery, and extortion. A federal grand jury indicted Poole on 51 counts in January and added another six in March.

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

Boyle initially set the trial date for April 26, but he said Monday it could be delayed weeks, not months, and that he would make a final ruling shortly.

Poole’s lawyer, Joseph Zeszotarski, had requested the trial begin in August due to the volume of documentation in the case and the need to retain the services of a tax expert to comb through the income tax charges.

Last week, Boyle denied a request by Zeszotarski to have 51 of the counts against Poole dismissed. Zeszotarski also tried to have the entire case thrown out on the grounds that the charges didn’t match the allegations.

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