The latest campaign finance reports show even more how much of a role liberal activist Dean Debnam played to get a new Democratic majority elected to the Wake County school board.

This year-end report filed Friday by Wake Citizens for Good Government, which was formed by Debnam in 2009, shows the PAC donated $25,000 during the school board campaign.

The biggest chunk of $10,000 went to the N.C. Democratic Party, whose final report isn't viewable yet but is expected to show something was spent in Wake on the school board races.

We're now getting concrete evidence that national money was used in the Wake County school board races to help Democratic candidates retake the board majority.

A new campaign finance report posted today by the Wake County Board of Elections shows that N.C. Citizens for Protecting Our Schools spent $8,418.69 on get-out-to-vote calls to help Democratic school board incumbent Kevin Hill.

The calls were made possible, according to the report, by a $30,000 donation on Oct. 26 from D.C.-based America's Families First Action Fund. The national 501(c)4 group has been called a super PAC that helps Democratic candidates and is heavily backed by labor unions.

We now know that Common Sense Matters spent $52,448.90 on campaign mailers attacking Wake County school board candidates Heather Losurdo and Ron Margiotta.

A new campaign finance report filed today shows that the 527 group spent $24,526.44 on various mailers trying to link the two candidates to the Tea Party. This comes after a prior report showed the group had spent $27,922.46 on the initial mailers.

Common Sense Matters has been funded by the N.C. Futures Action Fund, which is led by Dean Debnam and which in turn received funding from the N.C. Association of Educators.

We're still waiting for reports from other groups like N.C. Citizens For Protecting Our Schools and the N.C. Futures Action Fund that could show the extent of the money spent by 501 and 527 groups to indirectly help the Democratic school board candidates.

Thanks to Columbus Day, voters got today off from receiving new Wake County school board campaign mailers.

The groups that have been sending the various mailers say their pieces have educated voters. But you've also got some carping as well about the pieces.

For instance, Francis DeLuca, head of the conservative Civitas Action, praised his group's mailers while criticizing those sent by the other groups that linked the Republican school board candidates to the Tea Party.

The most expensive campaign in Wake County school board history is leading  to a flurry of ads and charges.

As noted in today's article, reports on file show $385,909 has been raised so far by the candidates and other groups. But the number is actually far higher because many groups don't have to file yet or have only filed partial reports.

For instance, the $385,909 doesn't include the political parties and all the 501 groups and 527 groups. By the time all the numbers come in, the amount raised should easily exceed $500,000.

Critics of the Republican candidates for Wake County school board are getting literary in this new campaign mailer.

The piece from N.C. Citizens for Protecting Our Schools invokes the "mad" tea party scene from "Alice in Wonderland" to charge that the Tea Party is trying to take over Wake County schools. The cover has a drawing of Alice and uses the quote from the 1951 movie version about it being "the stupidest tea party I've ever been to in all my life."  

"The Tea Party takeover of Wake County schools is no fairy tale — it's a real threat to our children's future," says the mailer.

Like the other pieces from these various Democrat-leaning groups, the mailer charges that "radical tea party school board members" have put accreditation at risk and could cost the district $80 million in funding.

A group whose donors include the N.C. Association of Educators and who has ties to other groups that have been critical of the Republican school board candidates in Wake County is sending out mailers warning about a Tea Party takeover.

This campaign mailer from N.C. Citizens for Protecting Our Schools was sent  to voters in at least four of the Wake school board districts on the ballot. Like the other 527 and 501(c)(4) groups it has ties with, this new mailer charges that the Tea Party is trying to take over Wake County schools.

"The Tea Party is on the Verge of Taking Over Wake County Schools," says the mailer. "YOU CAN STOP THEM ON OCTOBER 11."

Progress NC Action is escalating its rhetoric in the Wake County school board elections by directly asking that people vote against Heather Losurdo.

In their "What That's Smell?" YouTube video posted today, the liberal advocacy group stars "Stinky Tea," their skunk mascot. The video includes images of school board chairman Ron Margiotta, board vice chairman John Tedesco and Losurdo with the words "Say No To A Tea Party Trio: Three Strikes And We're Out"

The video also says "Vote No To Losurdo On October 11th."

Michael Weisel, who has been active in state Democratic Party politics, is the attorney for Progress NC Action, Common Sense Matters and N.C. Citizens For Protecting Our Schools, which have all launched efforts against the Republican school board candidates.