Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco played a bigger-than-usual role in recruiting a Louisiana company to this region because the son of Gov. Bev Perdue also was involved with efforts to lure the corporate headquarters.
Perdue recused herself from the recruitment of IEM, our sister blog Under the Dome reports. That meant that Crisco made more decisions in attracting the risk-management firm, including the promise of as much as $9 million in tax breaks and grants.
Perdue's son, Garrett Perdue, worked on the deal as part of his job with the law firm of Womble Carlyle.
IEM and state officials announced Monday morning in Research Triangle Park that the risk-management firm would move its headquarters to RTP and create 430 jobs over the next six year. Perdue, who usually attends such announcements, stayed away.
Read the full Under the Dome report here.
Assistant Business Editor Alan M. Wolf joined the N&O in 1999 covering the business of health care. He became an editor in 2001, and helps oversee the paper's daily business coverage and Sunday Work&Money section. He lives in Clayton with his wife and two children. Reach him at 919-829-4572 or