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Local News Story
N.C. Non-Profit Ethics Group Going After Corrupt Officials
Raleigh, N.C., 06.30.2009
AP
Former State Auditor Les Merritt said Monday his new venture providing information on public corruption in North Carolina and across the country to the media and government authorities will be careful and nonpartisan.
Merritt, a Republican, and former FBI agent Frank Perry are the top leaders of the nonprofit Foundation for Ethics in Public Service out of Raleigh, which opened its doors in May.
Their office is collecting tips by phone, mail, fax or e-mail and anonymously or not about allegations of illegal or unethical conduct by public officials and checking them out.
The foundation will provide credible allegations to journalists and law enforcement agencies for them to pursue, Merritt said. Rather than putting out policy papers, the foundation also will teach classes and hold other programs to encourage ethical behavior in government.
``We're going to be heavier on the investigative side and less on the reporting side,'' Merritt said in an interview. ``We don't want to be a think tank. We want to be a 'to-do' tank.''
Merritt, who served one four-year term as auditor before losing to Democrat Beth Wood last November, said the foundation boards include Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters. Perry used to be the agent in charge of the FBI's Raleigh office before working for the State Ethics Commission and later as Merritt's top investigator at the auditor's office.
While the group has received donations from the conservative-leaning John William Pope Foundation in Raleigh among others, Merritt said it's looking actively for donations from both sides of the political spectrum.
``We're going to be nonpartisan and nonbiased,'' said Merritt. ``We hope to be balanced with our fundraising.''
So far, the foundation has received more than 20 tips since its Web site www.ReportPublicCorruption.org went live June 13. Merritt said he initially considered limiting coverage to North Carolina, but the Web provided more opportunities.
Merritt was accused of being partisan late in his term as auditor but defended his actions Monday.
He and the State Ethics Commission fought over investigating whether an aide to then-Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue received special treatment by reviewing in private a financial disclosure statement she had filed previously with the commission. Merritt also released the week before the election a review finding tens of thousands of dollars in unreasonable expenses incurred on two taxpayer-funded trips by then-first lady Mary Easley and others.
The impartiality of the foundation will go a long way toward determining its effectiveness, said Bob Hall, executive director of the campaign finance reform group Democracy North Carolina.
Other nonprofits, such as the Washington-based Project On Government Oversight, investigates corruption and misconduct at the federal level.
``There's room for more watchdog organizations,'' Hall said. ``You build credibility a thimbleful at a time ... and you lose it a bucketful at a time.''
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