Corruption watchdog Joe Sinsheimer is at it again, filing a new complaint asking the State Board of Elections to investigate possible "washing" of corporate money and illegal campaign contributions through the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC).
We’ve known about the funneling of money through the DLCC for years. Back in November of 2005, Civitas wrote about the funneling of more than $275,000 from lottery companies to the DLCC and into the NC Democratic House Campaign Committee.
Hawke also wrote to call on the State Board of Elections to investigate the funneling of corporate funds through the DLCC and into the NC Democratic Party’s coffers.
I have also written about the annual fundraiser that Speaker Black held at Pinehurst that served as a vehicle for Big Labor and corporations to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars of shady contributions into North Carolina.
In 2004, most of the contributions came from corporations with an interest in issues likely to come before the North Carolina General Assembly: lottery vendors, landfill operators, and tobacco companies. These corporate donations to DLCC apparently resulted in the channeling of $375,000 in soft money donations back to the N.C. Democratic Party, $225,000 to the N.C. Democratic House Committee, and $25,000 to the N.C. Democratic Senate Committee.
As a reminder, it is illegal for any North Carolina political committee to accept corporate contributions. Still, there is no doubt that Speaker Black raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in soft money from corporations for the DLCC and within a matter of weeks $375,000 made its way back to North Carolina Democrat committees.
So this is all nothing new and should come as no surprise given Black’s proclivity to operate outside the boundaries of the law. But Sinsheimer should be commended for his vigorous pursuit of justice.
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