RALEIGH – A federal grand jury has indicted former Gov. Mike Easley aide Ruffin Poole with 51 counts of corruption.

The indictment accuses Poole of fraud, bribery and money laundering, along with other charges.

Poole, who was responsible for gathering campaign donations for Easley, refused to testify about possible campaign violations in October, claiming attorney-client privilege. He was eventually forced to testify in December, but invoked his Fifth Amendment rights.

Source: News 14 Carolina

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE INDICTMENT http://content.news14.com/Poole_indictment.pdf

I guess for former Governor Mike Easley, the only good thing about this indictment being handed down today is that it may have been overshadowed by the acknolwedgement of John Edwards that he fathered the child of his mistress.  Add it all together and this was a very bad day for North Carolina Democrats in what is increasingly becoming a difficult climate for Democrats at all levels of government.

After the Jim Black, Tony Rand, Ty Harrell, and Mike Easley scandals (scandals of recent memory) voters must be asking themselves is a change is needed in Raleigh?  I would hate to see the civic minded public servants of the Democratic Party lose out because of rotten eggs that spoil the whole bunch.  But maybe, this is what the party needs because it has been slow to discipline party members who brought disgrace to an organization that clearly has the interest of all people in mind.