Did Mike Causey Wear a Wire for the Feds?

Fascinating reading, this unsealed indictment of NCGOP Chair Robin Hayes and three others. Because it seems pretty obvious that NC Commissioner of Insurance Mike Causey not only cooperated with federal law enforcement but also helped make recordings of a crime in progress.

Greg Lindberg, now famous as "NC's biggest political donor" and founder of Eli Global, a multinational corp that "provides information and financial services," had a sit-down meeting in Commissioner Mike Causey's office, asking for some "regulatory favors."

Travis Fain's reporting: "Lindberg allegedly wanted Causey to fire or reassign an unnamed deputy commissioner causing problems for some of the businesses Lindberg owns, and he offered up to $2 million in political donations to get it done."

Congressman Mark Walker (NC-6)
Photo AP / J. Scott Applewhite

Lindberg specifically wanted Causey to hire his man Joe Palermo as his assistant. Palermo not only works for Eli Global; he's chair of the Chatham County Republican Party.

From the indictment, where Causey got Lindberg to speak plainly about bribery:

38. The COMMISSIONER asked to speak to LINDBERG alone, and during that portion of the meeting, the COMMISSIONER asked LINDBERG, “What’s in it for me? What can you do to help that’s not gonna be…under the radar screen?” LINDBERG responded that he would create an independent expenditure committee to support the COMMISSIONER’s re-election and fund it himself with $1 million to $2 million.

Another shoe waiting to drop?
Congressman Mark Walker is implicated as "Public Official A" for receiving $150,000 for help in putting pressure on Causey. He seems to have escaped indictment, but he'll have to give the money back, and he has some 'splaining to do.