It looks like Ruffin Poole will testify before the State Board of Elections after all.
And State Board of Elections Chairman Larry Leake says better late than never.
On Wednesday, Poole, right-hand man for former Gov. Mike Easley, convinced
a trial court judge to quash a subpeona seeking his testimony at the hearing investigating Easley's campaign finances. The judge kept the reason for his ruling secret.
On Friday, the state Court of Appeals lifted the judge's order and reinstated the subpoena. The reasons for the trial court ruling remain secret, as does the reasoning used by the Court of Appeals.
Leake said the board would have called Poole to testify Friday, but the court ruling came after the hearing ended.
Leake said the board wants to question Poole about a series of checks mailed to him at the Easley campaign committee.
Joe Neff came to The N&O in 1992 and has covered prisons, police, courts and the legislature. His most recent major work was "Agents' Secrets," a four-part series about problems in the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation. He can be reached at 
