There comes a time when conducting matters of state that citizens expect their elected leaders to rise above partisanship and act as statesmen for the good all North Carolina. Nowadays, it appears that’s asking too much.
Two major scandals involving political corruption have rocked the state in the past year. One is the conviction and sentencing of Agriculture Secretary Meg Scott Phipps, and the other of North Carolina congressman Frank Ballance. Phipps is paying for her misconduct in prison. Ballance, citing illness, resigned his 1st District post, coincidentally of course, after a state auditor’s report and criminal investigations had all but sealed his fate.
For quite some time, Ballance denied he had pocketed state revenue from a nonprofit he founded and operated. Legal developments since then — such as a federal indictment —show otherwise, and they signal it’s only a matter of time until Ballance relents. Meanwhile, the Internal Revenue Service continues another investigation of Ballance’s activity and that of his son, District Judge Garey Ballance.
Since the scandals broke, the silence on Jones and Blount streets in Raleigh has been deafening. The electorate has heard little in the way of an explanation from the governor’s office or from the leadership of the General Assembly of what was done wrong and how to prevent it from recurring. The only state office that has made any noise and met its responsibility to the public in either case was that of State Auditor Ralph Campbell. Soon after, state politicians rewarded Campbell by reducing the auditor’s funding in the adjusted state budget.
The governor’s office, usually quick to trumpet gubernatorial accomplishments, offered little word on the misconduct. Only two short statements from the governor’s office followed the sentencing of Phipps and the resignation of Ballance:
Easley’s statement on Phipps raised more questions than answers, while readers of the press release on Ballance might think the congressman left office a martyr or perhaps a hero.
A Sept. 2 federal grand jury’s indictment, though, paints a far different picture. The grand jury indicted Ballance on two counts: conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States and failure to file federal income tax returns. In damning fashion, the indictment lists, in a 51-page report, 92 events leading to felonious activities by Ballance and his confederates in which he apparently diverted and concealed millions of dollars of state funds over a period of several years.
We would like to give the Ballances the benefit of a doubt, if any could somehow exist. But the evidence against them continues to mount, and the sheer detail in the federal case is overwhelming. There is no questioning the existence of a scandal. The state audit corroborated that. There could remain only scant questions as to the extent of the congressman’s and the judge’s participation.
Strangely, no word has been forthcoming from the offices of Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight or of House Co-Speakers Jim Black and Richard Morgan. Neither has to our knowledge any other state officeholder offered significant comment on the scandals. Everyone supposed to be in a position of leadership scurried for cover rather than offer explanations, solutions, or solace to an electorate alarmed by some of the most serious scandals in state history. This is true despite the fact that Rep. Ballance for many years held high office in the General Assembly, when most of the thievery occurred.
Are North Carolinians to be left in the dark about these issues? Are we to shrug, dismiss the whole mess as typical conduct for politicians, and be on our way?
The brazen and cavalier manner in which the congressman and the agriculture secretary went about their dirty business suggests a deep-rooted menace to North Carolina’s political system. It’s also plausible that because of the systematic nature and complexity of the legislator’s activities, Ballance merely copied a scheme already perfected by his contemporaries. Certainly, citizens — in the absence of any meaningful announcement or explanation by state leaders — are left to suspect that such behavior is the norm, rather than the exception, in government. They are left to surmise it is either ignored or is acceptable in North Carolina.
Easley and the legislative leadership owe an explanation to their constituents. Taxpayers pump an estimated $750 million a year into nonprofits. No one, except the auditor, seems to have made major efforts to see how the money is spent. As the Ballance case has demonstrated, state leaders have to find a way to tighten the spigot. But first, the political class in Raleigh has to acknowledge the very existence of corruption.