Elections/Ethics board still silent on Hise investigation

Elections/Ethics board still silent on Hise investigation; Senator reports spending campaign funds on lawyers, accountants

Nearly a year after the Bipartisan State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement began a probe into alleged campaign finance violations by State Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell), the investigation continues.

The board still refuses to make any material related to the investigation public under the Freedom of Information Act and Hise remains silent on the subject. But the powerful state senator’s most recent campaign finance filings give some insight into the investigation’s lingering effects.

Hise raised $18,341.01 in the period between July of 2017 and the end of December. He spent the vast majority of that on his campaign audits, paying $7,700 to the Parker Poe law firm and $9,000 to certified public accountant Amy Ellis, his treasurer.

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The original complaint against Hise, filed in March of 2017 by activist Greg Flynn, detailed a variety of errors and omissions in Hise’s campaign disclosures. They include:

• Hise loaned about $50,000 to the campaign, but was repaid about $60,000 according to the reports.
• Required information about campaign contributors – including employers and addresses – were missing from the reports.
• A failure to report more than $9,000 that nine political action committees reported making to his campaign over a four year period.
• A failure to provide itemized information on thousands of dollars in campaign disbursements.

Read more: http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2018/02/08/elections-ethics-board-still-silent-hise-investigation-senator-reports-spending-campaign-funds-lawyers-accountants/