Another week of political scandal in North Carolina

Federal investigators, already looking into election impropriety in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District, are now also looking into allegations of bribery and fraud against the chairman of the state GOP, a wealthy Durham businessman and two of his associates.

Posted 10:00 a.m. Apr 7, 2019 — Updated 12:09 p.m. Apr 7, 2019

RALEIGH, N.C. — Federal investigators from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced indictments this past week that outlined allegations of fraud and bribery against the chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, a wealthy Durham businessman and two of his associates, one of them a chairman of the Chatham County Republican Party.

While that investigation continues, so does a separate probe underway by investigators in the Eastern District of North Carolina into election improprieties in the 9th Congressional District. Five people have been indicted in that investigation, and more indictments are expected. That case involves election fraud, and one of the people indicted was running an absentee-ballot operation for Republican candidate Mark Harris.

In the new case, Durham businessman Greg Lindberg is accused of trying to bribe Republican Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey to gain favorable treatment for one of his hundreds of insurance companies. Causey, however, had reported the overtures to the FBI and, according to the indictment, began assisting the FBI in its investigation.

In the last three years, Lindberg has become the largest single political donor in North Carolina. Most of his contributions have gone to Republicans, but he also supported Causey's predecessor, Democrat Wayne Goodwin, who is now chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party.

In a Sunday Special edition of TheWrap@NCCapitol, WRAL's Laura Leslie, Travis Fain and Cullen Browder take an in-depth look at the latest scandal to rock North Carolina politics.

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