By Catherine Welch
Raleigh, NC – A House Committee investigating Representative Thomas Wright found probable cause to continue looking into charges of unethical and unlawful conduct. Wright and his attorney skipped Wednesday's hearing in Raleigh.
The House Select Committee found there was probable cause on eight counts of unethical conduct. The counts range from obtaining loans by false pretenses to failing to disclose scores of campaign contributions.
Members of the Attorney General's office testified that between 2000 and 2006 nearly 40% of contributions made to Wright's campaign, roughly $185,000 worth, went unreported.
Select Committee Chair Rick Glazier says it was a sad day that the committee found probable cause against a sitting representative.
We will continue to do what we need to do to complete this process and provide representative Wright with due process throughout these proceedings and make the best judgment call that we can based on the evidence.
Glazier says Wright now has thirty days to respond to the charges.
The House has the power to expel Wright. If it moves to do so, he would be the first sitting representative in North Carolina to be expelled in more than a century.
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