NC Bar to Revisit Suspension Order for Former AG and Governor Mike Easley
A lawyer convicted of a felony often loses his or her law license. But a former governor and attorney general of North Carolina had his suspended for two years after a federal campaign-finance reporting violation.
That will make Mike Easley eligible to practice again at the end of this year, the Charlotte Observer reported last week.
However, that possibly might not be the final answer, according to a subsequent article published on the Investigations blog of the News & Observer.
It says the North Carolina State Bar is going to correct some incorrect information on the disciplinary order suspending the former McGuireWoods attorney. Supporting the imposition of a suspension, rather than disbarment, for Easley, the order said, are that he didn’t know about the violation and accepted responsibility for the mistake.
Critics question why, if Easley has accepted responsibility, most of a $100,000 fine is still owed, the News & Observer article says.
A Raleigh Telegram article provides additional details about the underlying federal case.
A former aide to Easley who also worked at McGuireWoods was jailed for his role in the case, the article notes.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com (Jan. 2010): “Young Lawyer’s Soaring Career Is Interrupted by Federal Indictment”
ABAJournal.com (Dec. 2011): “Former NC Gov Mike Easley Faces State Bar Complaint After Taking Plea in Campaign Finance Case”
