N. Carolina's Easley can't pay court fine, his lawyer says

[unhappycamper]

N. Carolina's Easley can't pay court fine, his lawyer says
By J. Andrew Curliss and Michael Biesecker | Raleign News & Observer
Posted on Thursday, November 25, 2010

RALEIGH — Former Gov. Mike Easley is too broke to pay nearly $95,000 remaining on a fine imposed on his campaign by the state Board of Elections, his lawyer says.

"Governor Easley, because of the investigations and the costs involved, is not in a position to pay this fine personally," Raleigh lawyer Joseph B. Cheshire V said Wednesday. "He took responsibility yesterday for the failures of his campaign and paid a tremendous price that essentially leaves him without a way to support himself and his family, much less incur the costs of the large fine levied on his committee."

The fine on Easley's committee stemmed from testimony last year in a hearing before the elections board that confirmed Easley took dozens of flights that weren't paid for and weren't disclosed. Free flights allowed his campaign to spend money elsewhere.

The fine plus costs totaled $100,000; Easley's committee has paid $5,335.28, but says it is unable to pay the rest.

Lawmakers and others took aim at the issue Wednesday, a day after Easley became the first governor in state history convicted of a felony, and began talking about new efforts to pass reforms aimed at putting more light and accountability on state government.



unhappycamper comment: You and I would be put in hock for the rest of our lives to pay this off. I'm aware that Mike is a 'democrat', but why should he be allowed to skip payment on his fine? One possible solution: At $10 a day, Mike should be out of the slammer in 9,500 days.

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

[hobbit709]

1. Laws are only for the little people.

[xchrom]

2. Recommend - for your comment on our not so equal

Application of our laws.

[Scruffy1]

3. Judges are reluctant to give jail time for unpaid fines

for a very good reason. This amounts to debtors prison. The real question is why those that put up the bribes are not prosecuted, only those who accept them. Besides which, how is one supposed to pay the fine if they are put behind bars with no way of raising the money.