From the Raleigh News and Observer (12/22/10): A Wake County judge's ruling Tuesday could make it easier for people to find out whether the N.C. Secretary of State is investigating a complaint about a lobbyist or sports agent. It also could allow the public to know whether any fines were levied if rules were violated.
Paul Gessner, a Wake County Superior Court judge, included those findings in an order issued in a lawsuit filed by the N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law against Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, her office and the state.
The institute, an organization that has been critical of corporate tax incentives, filed suit this year after an 18-month tussle with the Secretary of State’s Office.
In May 2008, the governor announced that Spirit AeroSystems, a private company, planned to build a manufacturing plant at the Global TransPark in Kinston. According to the lawsuit, much of the funding for the $100 million facility was to come from the Golden LEAF Foundation, a nonprofit organization funded through tobacco settlement money.
In May 2009, the Institute for Constitutional Law sought documents from the secretary of state related to lobbyist activity on behalf of Spirit Aero related to the plant.