A Wake County grand jury just indicted four NC lobbyists for bankrolling a Kentucky bourbon tour for state legislators — routed through a nonprofit to make it look clean.
— Margo (@MargoinWNC) May 16, 2026
North Carolina law bans lobbyists and the businesses that hire them from giving gifts to public officials. No… pic.twitter.com/sKexER25Ys
A Wake County grand jury just indicted four NC lobbyists for bankrolling a Kentucky bourbon tour for state legislators — routed through a nonprofit to make it look clean.
North Carolina law bans lobbyists and the businesses that hire them from giving gifts to public officials. No exceptions for small amounts. A free lunch counts. A plane ticket counts. In-kind donations — meals, travel, entertainment — count exactly the same as cash.And routing money through a nonprofit doesn’t protect politicians.
That’s the whole point of these indictments.Penalties: up to $5,000 per violation, criminal charges, and a two-year lobbying ban. Corrupt intent bumps it to a felony.
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