Tag: scheme

They're all accused of trying to bribe state Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey, who got in touch with federal investigators and recorded conversations quoted in the indictment. Lindberg has given more than $5 million to North Carolina political campaigns over the last few years, including more than $1.49 million to the state Republican Party. The state party turned around and gave $250,000 of that to Causey's campaign, and the indictment alleges this was an attempt to get around state political giving rules, which allow unlimited donations to parties but cap individual campaign donations at $5,400. The day after Causey agreed to switch out regulators at the department as Lindberg had requested, Hayes emailed the state party's treasurer requesting an initial wire transfer to Causey's campaign, the indictment states. The indictment also references an unidentified "Public Official A" that Gray and Lindberg discussed via text message and who called Causey to "explain that Lindberg was doing good things for North Carolina business" two days after Lindberg made a $150,000 contribution on Feb. 5, 2018, to a committee supporting the official. Dan Forest's largest donor, having given more than $2 million to political committees supporting him. Before the meeting, Gray allegedly told Causey that he and Lindberg would enter through a different door "so that nobody would see them together." Gray allegedly told Causey that, if the deputy commissioner causing Lindberg problems wasn't fired, he should "set it so that ... she doesn't breathe a word outside that office, or send a slip of paper outside that office, that is not reviewed first by John (Palermo)," the indictment states. The DOJ's Public Integrity Section and U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case. "The party has been cooperating with the investigation for several months, including staff members providing statements and responding to various document requests," Howard said in the statement.