Rep. Frank Ballance's Family, Friends Called To Testify Before Grand Jury

Rep. Frank Ballance

has come under fire because of the questions about the John Hyman Foundation, a drug and alcohol counseling center he co-founded in Warren County when he was a state lawmaker.

Earlier this year, state funding was cut off after questions arose about where thousands of dollars in grant money had gone. The state auditor's office also found that money was going to Ballance's friends and family as well as other contributors.

State Sen. Robert Holloman came to federal court Thursday to tell the grand jury what he knows. He replaced Ballance in the statehouse. Holloman's Hertford County church received thousands of dollars from the Hyman Foundation.

Joyce Bullock, Ballance's secretary, was also subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury. She handled administrative duties for the John Hyman Foundation at the center of the investigation. Even Ballance's mother, who received a grant for a daycare, has been subpoenaed to testify.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and State Bureau of Investigation are investigating the matter.

Ballance has admitted that there were problems with the center's recordkeeping, but there was no criminal wrongdoing. Ballance has not been subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury.

State GOP leader Ferrell Blount said Ballance is tainted by scandal and should resign, but Ballance says he will not.

Attorneys point out the witnesses who appeared Thursday before the grand jury are not considered targets. The federal investigation is expected to take months.