Rick Henderson on Easley aide Ruffin Poole's prison term; Andy Willis on Medicaid budget hole; Jim Trogdon on road impact of fracking; Gary Henry & Terry Stoops on teacher training; Roy Cordato on replacing income tax with consumed tax.
RALEIGH — Federal prosecutors said Poole’s sentence closes the investigation of Easley, who entered a guilty plea last fall for failing to file an accurate campaign report related to an unreported free flight he received from a donor.
RALEIGH — Mike Easley became the first governor in North Carolina history to be convicted of a felony connected to his conduct in public office after prosecutors and Easley’s attorneys reached a plea deal on state charges Tuesday.
We never should have suggested that the former governor did anything inappropriate.
RALEIGH — Don Carrington first reported on Easley’s free flights in October 2008, months before other media outlets. At the time, Easley campaign attorney John Wallace insisted the flights had been paid for, but the State Board of Elections concluded they had not.
Rick Henderson on Easley legal saga; Michael Pratt, Joe Maimone & Terry Stoops on charter cap; legislators on local supplement for community college presidents; Christopher Wolfe on subsidiarity concept; Daren Bakst on collecting DNA from arrestees.
RALEIGH — In a surprise move, Gov. Mike Easley’s former legal counsel and top aide Ruffin Poole pleaded guilty to one count of income tax evasion Monday in exchange for prosecutors conditionally dropping all other federal charges against him.
RALEIGH - Ruffin Poole agreed Monday to work with federal prosecutors investigating former Gov. Mike Easley. Poole changed his plea to guilty in connection with a 57 count indictment of corruption. He admitted to just one of the 57 charges — income tax evasion. The government agreed to drop the remaining charges in exchange for Poole's cooperation in its investigation of Easley. For the full report on Poole's plea agreement, click on the link.
RALEIGH — 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.
RALEIGH — Ruffin Poole, a top aide during Easley’s two terms as governor, now is indicted 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.
RALEIGH — A criminal trial of former Gov. Mike Easley’s top aide, Ruffin Poole, is slated to begin April 26, despite a request from Poole’s attorney that the start date be pushed back to late summer.
