RALEIGH – Earlier this week, Agriculture Commissioner Meg Scott Phipps testified at a proceeding of the State Board of Elections about irregularities in her campaign finances. Phipps, daughter and granddaughter of North Carolina governors, exhibited such utter ignorance of the workings of her own campaign that her ability to manage anything – including the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services – seemed very much in question.

Now, according to testimony from former political opponent – and later aide – Bobby McLamb, Phipps appears to be not just a bungling oaf but a prevaricator of the first rank (see here).

Phipps testified that she hadn’t known her campaign treasurer, a longtime staffer and friend, was receiving in and paying out illegal amounts of campaign dollars to help retire McLamb’s own campaign debts. But he told the State Board of Elections something very different today.

Here’s how the Associated Press reported his testimony:

“McLamb testified that he met the night of the May 2000 primary with Phipps, Scott and their campaign advisers. He said that Phipps and her campaign officials had agreed to help retire the debt of McLamb, who ended up working on Phipps’ campaign for the next six months. McLamb, a motivational speaker who ran a company that booked entertainment for fairs, had contacts with the fair industry and the black community that could help Phipps on to victory…

“After the general election, McLamb said he went to Phipps’ house in Alamance County. He reminded them about his loan, which had been restructured and told them that a payment was due in February. McLamb said Phipps’ husband, Robert, told him that ‘we haven’t forgotten about that’ and wanted the loan identification numbers.”

This is damning testimony, it seems to me. If the State Board of Elections finds it credible, they should initiate whatever action is necessary to indict the commissioner for campaign finance violations and perjury. Phipps should step down, not just for sloppy bookkeeping, which might be forgivable, but for a failure to come clean about violations of law, which is not.

By the way, she is a former administrative law judge herself. Shameful.