NCGOP FILES FEC COMPLAINT AGAINST KAY HAGAN
Democrat should return $185,000 in Illegal Contrib

RALEIGH--The North Carolina Republican Party has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against Kay Hagan and Hagan Senate Committee, Inc. for taking approximately $185,000 in illegal campaign contributions. 

NCGOP Executive Director Chris McClure made the following statement:

"Kay Hagan has demonstrated complete disregard for our federal election laws.  She should immediately take steps to correct her violations including returning the $185,000 in illegal contributions.  Her failure to disclose the required information regarding her donors raises further questions as to what more she has to hide.  In the complaint you will see that Kay Hagan has already broken three federal election laws in her short campaign."

• Violation #1: Kay Hagan has taken approximately $185,000 in illegal campaign contributions.
• Violation #2:  Kay Hagan failed to timely disclose the receipt of late contributions in the days immediately preceding the North Carolina primary as required by federal law. 
• Violation #3:  Kay Hagan failed to fully disclose legally required information regarding her donors according to a March 27, 2008 FEC letter. Despite the letter from the FEC, Kay Hagen has yet to disclose the required information.

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TIME TO STOP THE LYING
Democrat Power Elites Trampling the First Amendment 

RALEIGH—A reporter from the News & Observer was blocked by Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand from a meeting concerning the state budget at the General Assembly yesterday. 

“Legislative leaders have promised to be open in their negotiations over the budget.

House and Senate leaders held such a meeting on Thursday morning. But when a News & Observer reporter tried to enter, they barred him.

Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, a Fayetteville Democrat, could not cite a reason under the public meetings law why a reporter would be excluded. But he said the meeting had nothing to do with the budget.

‘Because we were just hearing a report from staff,’ Rand said. ‘It had nothing to do with negotiations.’

He said the report was an ‘economic briefing.’

What did it say?

‘We're not sure.’

Why can't a reporter listen to that?

‘Because we're trying to determine if there's something we want to do,’ Rand said. ‘I mean, that was just a staff thing.’

Related to the budget?

‘Related to anything.’

Budget negotiators were the only ones attending. A glimpse into the meeting showed Dan Gerlach, senior budget adviser to Gov. Mike Easley, and legislative fiscal workers addressing the lawmakers.

Gerlach left several minutes later.

What were they meeting about?

‘Talking about the budget,’ Gerlach said as he walked away.

After the meeting broke up, Rep. Mickey Michaux, a Durham Democrat and the House's chief budget writer, said his team had nothing to do with the decision to close the meeting.

‘They ran you out of there,’ he said of the Senate budget negotiators. ‘That was their meeting. It wasn't mine.’”  (Kane, Dan, “N&O blocked from budget meeting,” The News & Observer, June 27, 2008 http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1122189.html)

Chairman Linda Daves, North Carolina Republican Party, made the following statement:

“It is time for Tony Rand to stop lying and stop putting his power above the best interests of the people and democracy itself.  The people of North Carolina deserve to know the kind of disservice they are being treated to at the hands of Tony Rand and the Democrat leadership in Raleigh.

We already know that Republicans have been shut out of the budget process by Tony Rand and Democrat leaders in the General Assembly.  Now they refuse to even open their meetings to reporters.  What exactly are they hiding behind closed doors?  Why are they lying to us?  We are tired of Democrats paying lip service to open government initiatives but then keeping a tight lid on access. 

We already know that the Democrat power elites in Raleigh have silenced the speech of Republicans speaking out against the budget on behalf of their constituents.  Now they have restricted freedom of the press.  Just how many core values of the First Amendment are they going to trample on this week?  How much longer are North Carolina citizens expected to stand for this?

The concentrated power of the General Assembly has been in the hands of but a few Democrats for far too long.  It is clear now that they are more interested in maintaining power than in protecting the integrity of the institution or the interests of North Carolinians.  The only hope for change in North Carolina is to send these Democrats back home.”