Accusations of illegal lobbying

FORMER STATE SEN. ACCUSED OF ILLEGAL LOBBYING ON CHARTER SCHOOL BILL; March 23, 2011; The Progressive Pulse (NC) 

The N.C. Secretary of State is looking into accusations that former state Sen. Eddie Goodall has been illegally lobbying for charter school legislation.

A complaint was filed by N.C. Association of Educators, according to this report from the Associated Press.

Goodall, a Mint Hill Republican, did not seek re-election in the past election, and took a job as president of the N.C. Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

The alliance’s biggest priority this year is to get the charter school legislation, Senate Bill 8, passed and Goodall has attended many of the hearings and meetings about the bill. Senate Bill 8 would lift the cap on charter schools, and allow the schools greater access to public schools’ funding streams.

Legislators are supposed to sit out of the lobbying game for six months after they leave office. Goodall’s term expired in December, which wouldn’t make him eligible to lobby until this May.

Violations of the state’s lobbying laws are criminal misdemeanors and punishment can also include fines up to $5,000 per violation. Lobbyists also have stop lobbying for two years following their conviction date, if found guilty of the criminal offenses…