Two former cabinet members in the administration of former Gov. Mike Easley arrived this morning at the Federal Building in Raleigh, where a federal grand jury is meeting.
Former Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett had little to say this morning as arrived. Tippett was the administrator of a contract with former Southport Mayor Norman Holden, a friend of Easley. Holden appeared at the federal building last month when the grand jury met. Federal investigators have subpoenaed documents relating to Holden's contract.
Tippett was in the building for about three hours and left at 5 p.m. He declined to answer any questions about the grand jury proceedings.
Asked if he was going to talk with the grand jury, former Commerce Secretary Jim Fain replied, "I've got a little business here today."
Fain spent about two hours inside the federal building and left without commenting.
Easley tapped Fain to be Commerce Secretary, a post Fain held throughout Easley's two terms, from 2001 to 2009. Fain was a major fundraiser for Easley.
The grand jury has been meeting for more than a year and has issued a number of subpoenas seeking information on the Easley administration.
Easley, a Democrat, has said he is comfortable with the ongoing probes by state and federal authorities.
by staff writer J. Andrew Curliss
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
Comments
I am depressed
Thu, 06/17/2010 - 15:09 — The_Nags_HeadWhen I think that we will probably have to endure yet another tax hike to pay for the prison we'll have to build once all the Hunt/Easley/Purdue crowd is rounded up and jailed. Will there be anyone left living east of I-95 except Yankee in-comers?
"Two former Easley aides at the courthouse...........
Thu, 06/17/2010 - 13:30 — rlm7950 (not verified).........and the ONLY time they told the truth to ANY question asked was when they stated their names. And even that was hearsay because they only heard from their Mamas.
RE: TESTIMONY OF TIPPETT
Thu, 06/17/2010 - 12:18 — beachbum3The feds need to ask tippett about the campaign contribution that the various ncdot contractors made to the easley campaign in one form or another an about the fact that the ncdot inpsectors arent allowed to do their jobs an enforce the state speceficiaitions an why that is thank you