The problem is that it no longer matters what actually happened. If nothing else, they are guilty of the cardinal sin of the appearance of impropriety. That alone is enough to flush the careers of everyone involved down the toilet. Is it fair, probably not, but it is reality. The whole lot has to resign ASAP to protect the institution.

5/19/2009 7:08:15 PM

but if that happens, don't you just perpetuate the problem and legitimize the concept of guilt via accusation? how else can you break this cycle except by fighting back?

unless of course you're guilty, governor blagojevich.

5/19/2009 8:31:18 PM

Sure, but I don't expect NCSU to change the way politics works.

5/19/2009 8:40:28 PM

fair enough.

5/19/2009 8:45:03 PM

Quote :

"I have yet to see any sort of evidence at all that anything was done incorrectly"

Nielsen and Campbell met for an hour on April 20, 2005, according to Nielsen's calendar. A call was placed from the Easley home to Campbell's cell phone on April 24. Mary Easley faxed her resume to Nielsen on May 2, 2005. Nielsen interviewed Easley on May 17. And Nielsen then waived a job search, created a position to run a speaker's series and hired Mary Easley for it May 26.





There's like 4 things done incorrectly right there.

5/19/2009 8:59:24 PM

Damn looks like Fowler showed em all how it's done correctly with the new basketball coach.

5/19/2009 11:23:25 PM

anyway we can find a link to fowler in all of this? The way careers are dropping, we should at least try.

5/19/2009 11:50:31 PM

Quote :

"THE TRUTH?!?!?!?! YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!"

gunzz

LOL

Yeah, all this is totally aboveboard.

Quote :

"University records show that, since last year, private money she raises covered part of her salary. Since 2006, she solicited $192,795 from corporations and foundations, including $40,000 from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, $20,000 from Progress Energy and $15,000 from AT&T. 'I think there's an absolute conflict of interest,' said Jane Pinsky, director of the North Carolina Coalition For Lobbying and Government Reform. 'I don't like that they were using my hard-earned money (to pay her) at the same time she was taking money from corporations that do business here in North Carolina who might want a favor from the governor.' N.C. State spokesman Keith Nichols said the money Easley raised also helped cover the cost of running the Millennium Seminars program, which has brought speakers like former President Bill Clinton to campus. He didn't disclose how much of her salary was paid with private money. 'One of the things that the state code of ethics says is a politician and their family shall not use the office for personal financial gain, and I don't see how she didn't do that,' Pinsky said."

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5176543/

http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/5177527/

5/20/2009 6:21:08 AM

5/20/2009 9:39:22 AM

Quote :

"There's like 4 things done incorrectly right there."

Really? Let's see....

Quote :

"Nielsen and Campbell met for an hour"

THEY MET?!? AND SPOKE TO EACH OTHER? AN OUTRAGE

Quote :

"A call was placed from the Easley home to Campbell's cell phone"

You mean the Easley's actually CALLED him?!? MORE SPEAKING!?! I bet they were talking about the best way to tear down the RBC center and replace it with a puppy slaughtering facility.

Quote :

"Mary Easley faxed her resume to Nielsen on May 2, 2005."

SHE SENT A RESUME!?!1!?/

OMG THIS IS MORE SERIOUS THAN I THOUGHT.

Quote :

"University records show that, since last year, private money she raises covered part of her salary"

Oh, so maybe the taxpayers weren't paying too much for her salary. Heck, imagine if she had taken it a little further and had used private money to fully cover her salary and all of her costs associated with working with the University. She's be bringing in speakers and creating new degrees at NO COST TO THE UNIVERSITY. THE HORROR - no wonder people want her fired.

5/20/2009 10:11:18 AM

I still don't understand her position and what she is bringing to NCSU that is worth all this... Why can't they just fire her?

5/20/2009 10:15:30 AM

Quote :

"Really? Let's see...."

Yeah, really.

#1 Interim provost creates a new position. Something an interim provost shouldn't do.
#2 Provost waives the job search. That's a mistake.
#3 MC being involved with hiring, if you can accept that the timeline indicates that they talked about ME looking for a job. Something had to have happened for ME to fax a resume to Nielsen for a job that didn't exist yet.


#4 .....OK so there's only three clear whoopsies in one paragraph. My bad.

5/20/2009 10:35:50 AM

Quote :

"I still don't understand her position and what she is bringing to NCSU that is worth all this... Why can't they just fire her?"

She has a $850k contract. They would have to pay it out if they simply fired her.

5/20/2009 3:32:50 PM

99 problems

http://www.wral.com/news/local/politics/story/5183474/

Quote :

"Posted: Today at 3:00 p.m. Updated: 3 minutes ago Raleigh, N.C. — For the second time in a week, a major supporter of former Gov. Mike Easley has resigned amid state and federal investigations into the former governor's dealings with friends and contributors. Transportation board member Cameron McRae, who reportedly flew Easley on his corporate jet, submitted his resignation to Gov. Beverly Perdue, and she accepted it. McRae, a Bojangles restaurant franchisee from Kinston, had served on the powerful transportation board for more than eight years. Easley appointed him to a third four-year term shortly before leaving office in January. The News & Observer newspaper recently reported that McRae had flown Easley in his plane at least twice, but neither man disclosed the flights in campaign finance reports. State law requires transportation board members to provide details of campaign activities. Also, the unreported flights violated a state ban on corporate political contributions and exceeded the limits placed on individual contributions. The FBI last Friday subpoenaed Easley's travel records as part of a growing probe into his activities while in office. Investigators also have questioned people about vehicles provided to the governor's family and about a coastal land deal in which he was involved."

Shit just got real son.

[Edited on May 20, 2009 at 4:01 PM. Reason : lol]

5/20/2009 4:00:10 PM

just do things the right way, man.

it's not like it's hard to do that.

5/20/2009 4:18:02 PM

well in theory, if the job was created pretty much solely to hire her, because they thought she could do something really good for the university, wouldn't it make sense that no one else was interviewed?

i mean, let's say through thought or conversation the idea of a position to bring in great speakers for a a program at state comes up after someone mentions the connections and pull that easley's wife has. just saying that is one option.

5/20/2009 11:35:46 PM

she ain't worth what they're paying her.

i don't care what reason they use for making her leave as long as she leaves.

5/21/2009 7:52:49 AM

^^state positions still have to put forth the guise of a search. you can't just make a position and waive the search process. it happens a lot that agencies have people in mind for positions, but they still have to post the position externally (or internally).

5/21/2009 8:36:03 AM

N.C. State officials don't appear before grand jury

cliff notes - Need more time to assemble the requested documents, so they're not going to appear. ME is doing a PC at 11 AM.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5188562/

[Edited on May 21, 2009 at 10:31 AM. Reason : []

5/21/2009 10:30:58 AM

lawyer is shakey

5/21/2009 11:13:11 AM

it pisses me off to be affiliated with nc state right now

5/21/2009 11:29:25 AM

Easley is not going to resign.


http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5188562/


It's time to see what kind of cajones Oblinger has, I guess.

5/21/2009 11:34:26 AM

It seems our school is intent on letting themselves be dragged into this publicity nightmare. The whole Easley family is scum - of course she won't resign for the good of the school, that family only does what is in their best interest, no matter the morality. I really, really hope someone in our administration will grow a pair and just fire her. Pay her the whole damned contract, whatever, just be rid of this.

5/21/2009 11:43:02 AM

nay nay to the payout, sir

fire her and dare her to sue for it

5/21/2009 11:47:33 AM

^ With her reputation right now, plus the fact that it seems she may have illegal activities to hide besides the merely embarassingly corrupt, good call!

5/21/2009 11:50:35 AM

BUT SHE IS A LIAISON

5/21/2009 11:54:44 AM

Pay out her contract or find some kind of provision to have her be the highest paid toilet scrubber for the next 5 years.

Oh, and be sure to let everyone on campus know which toilets she's in charge of cleaning.

5/21/2009 1:11:07 PM

Seriously, Mary Easley?

Seriously?

5/21/2009 1:20:48 PM

Balls.

5/21/2009 1:48:36 PM

At this point, regardless of what his involvement was or was not, this has become so embarrassing to the University that Oblinger needs to go.

5/21/2009 1:52:54 PM

5/21/2009 1:54:59 PM

At this rate, everyone will be resigning except for Mary.

5/21/2009 1:59:52 PM

Anyone else notice how the whole time her lawyer was talking about her "love and dedication" for NC State, they were both standing in front of a photo of Michael Jordan playing in the 82 Tournament.

5/21/2009 2:04:01 PM

This is just crazy. So many people loved Governor Easley, and I'm sure just as many people are shocked at the corruption. I know there's corruption everywhere you look, but seriously - how many people have resigned in the past 2 weeks because of fear of being connected to them!? But by resigning, they're practically admitting to being connected and guilty of corruption.


So, do I understand this correctly - Mary Easley was hired as a speaker for NCSU. Like public speeches and such, or like a liason to the media for NCSU? Or is she just good at writing grants and bringing money to NCSU? Sorry, I've not been following this closely.

5/22/2009 10:06:02 AM

From what I understand she was head of the Speaker Series on campus and also taught a graduate level course in leadership or something of that nature.

5/22/2009 10:12:29 AM

I heard that she is leading a Public Safety/IT revitalization project for the campus that will help enhance old initiatives and also help bridge inter-governmental communication between departments that normally do not work together, hence liason.

[Edited on May 22, 2009 at 10:57 AM. Reason : -]

5/22/2009 10:56:39 AM

Quote :

"how many people have resigned in the past 2 weeks because of fear of being connected to them!? But by resigning, they're practically admitting to being connected and guilty of corruption."

This argument always pisses me off. Some people resign for that reason, but lots of people resign:

a) because they aren't pleased that all the news organizations and ton of people are calling for their head on a platter

b) because the people who put them into the position are asking them to resign to diffuse the situation or

c) because they want to do what is right for the organization they serve with, and are willing to sacrifice their personal position for the good of the organization

Here is NCSU's document they produced explaining Mary Easley's responsibilities and their justification of her salary:

http://dig.abclocal.go.com/wtvd/maryeasleyhiringdocs052009.pdf

Her Responsibilities:

1) Director of new Public Safety Leadership Center - 35% of her time, $59,000 compensation, $29,750 paid via gov't funds, $29,750 paid via private funds (Program budget of $1.33 million for 2009-2010, increasing to a projected $4.66 million in 2012-2013)

2) Director of the Millennium Seminar - 30% of her time, $51,000 compensation, $25,500 gov't funds, $25,500 private funds (the program that brought in Clinton, Bill Bradley, Lindsey Graham, Myles Brand, the Dalai Lama next year, etc)

3) Law Academic Programming Coordinator - 20% of her time, $34,000 compensation, all gov't funds

4) Classroom Teacher - 15% of her time, $25,500 compensation, all gov't funds

Total: $170,000 compensation, $114,750 in gov't funds, $55,250 in private funds.


[Edited on May 22, 2009 at 11:14 AM. Reason : formatting]

5/22/2009 11:13:06 AM

Quote :

"This argument always pisses me off. Some people resign for that reason, but lots of people resign: a) because they aren't pleased that all the news organizations and ton of people are calling for their head on a platter b) because the people who put them into the position are asking them to resign to diffuse the situation or c) because they want to do what is right for the organization they serve with, and are willing to sacrifice their personal position for the good of the organization"

a) They're unhappy they got caught doing some shit

b) Their boss is trying to undo the shit that's been done

c) There is a scrap of decency left inside them, and they don't want to completely ruin their reputation and/or end up in court or jail over the shit they did.

5/22/2009 11:52:48 AM

her "responsibilities" sound like total bullshit

5/22/2009 12:22:08 PM

Quote :

"#1 Interim provost creates a new position. Something an interim provost shouldn't do."

from one of modlin's posts. Are you sure interim provosts can't create new positions? That doesn't seem logical to me...why have an interim provost at all if they can't do the work of a provost?

^oh yeah, and about her responsibilities... it sounds like it was a good thing that she was supposed to do, to raise the visibility of NC State. Bring high profile speakers to campus, make connections between government and the university, etc.

Just my opinion....

[Edited on May 22, 2009 at 3:37 PM. Reason : ^]

5/22/2009 3:35:47 PM

As an interim, he's just keeping the seat warm until a Provost is named.

You name an interim because someone needs to keep things going while the search takes place, but you ought to just keep things on cruise control and put out any fires that pop up.

5/22/2009 8:04:18 PM

5/22/2009 9:19:34 PM

Saw the press conference yesterday

both her and her lawyer suck

5/22/2009 9:22:32 PM

NCSU only has one course of action left:

1. photoshop nudey pics of Mary Easley

2. post said photos anonymously in 'unaffiliated' internet message board

3. Accept her resignation (just like that one prof a year or so ago)

4. profit . . .. . .

5/25/2009 6:19:02 PM

[Edited on May 25, 2009 at 6:19 PM. Reason : double post, My B]

5/25/2009 6:19:02 PM

^^ that prof never resigned.

5/25/2009 8:25:11 PM

http://www.newsobserver.com/2972/story/1554789.html

6/4/2009 8:18:57 AM

okay okay guys, i resign! jeez.

BUT I STILL GET PAID RIGHT?

6/4/2009 8:30:42 AM

They're all going to jail.

6/4/2009 9:59:42 AM

why are people surprised that we have budget problems?

6/4/2009 12:45:29 PM