LOD: Judicial Restraint

You expect judges to follow the rules, especially when it comes to public accountability. Unfortunately, it looks like NC Supreme Court Justice Paul Newby selected a campaign treasurer who is having a hard time abiding by simple campaign finance disclosure regulations. For months, the State Board of Elections has struggled to get the Newby campaign committee to fully comply with the rules. The good news is that Newby agreed to fundraising limits and qualified for public financing to supplement the private money he raised from small donations from NC voters. But he raised more private money than allowed and had to backtrack, then his committee improperly reported various donations, and it continues to withhold the required occupational information for an astonishing 85% of his donors who gave over $50. His opponent in the Supreme Court race, Sam Ervin IV, and all the other appellate court candidates have disclosed the occupational information for more than 90% of their $50+ donors, making Newby look especially bad in their company. Policy Watch has this story today about Newby’s lack of disclosure.