Witness: Easley used campaign to fix home

RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Former North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley received free flights worth nearly $88,000 and directed his campaign to pay for home fix-ups, testimony alleges.

Records and testimony before a state elections board hearing Monday included statements from a longtime Raleigh, N.C., friend and supporter of Easley's, McQueen Campbell, that the ex-governor did not pay for scores of political flights taken on Campell's aircraft from 1999 to 2004, which were valued at $87,895 but never reported, the Raleigh News & Observer said.

North Carolina state law requires that political campaigns must limit a donors to providing contribution of no more than $4,000 in each election period, the newspaper said.

Campbell also testified before the board that Easley personally directed that $11,000 in campaign funds be spent to pay for roof and bathroom repairs at his personal residence in Raleigh.

"So the Easley campaign and its contributors actually paid for the repairs to Gov. Easley's home?" asked Elections board Chairman Larry Leake.

"That's correct," Campbell reportedly responded.

The News & Observer said Easley, a Democrat, was expected to testify as soon as Wednesday.

Easley left office when his term ended last January.