Money In Politics

May 3, 2013 - Clean energy opponents turned to dirty tactics to advance a bill repealing North Carolina's renewables program -- and that's not the only example of the state's energy policy being hijacked by powerful interests.

April 26, 2013 - North Carolina's innovative public financing program for judicial races has dramatically reduced the amount of special-interest money flowing into judges' campaigns and served as a model for other states, but it's now under threat from conservative politicians.

March 8, 2013 - In the wake of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Ky.) filibuster this week raising concerns about the Obama administration's policy on the domestic use of drones against U.S. civilians, we take a by-the-numbers look at U.S. drone use and drone makers' political clout.

February 18, 2013 - A nonprofit that paid for Republican consultants to draw new congressional district maps for North Carolina -- a gerrymander that helped flip the state's delegation to the GOP -- got most of its original funding from big corporations including Exxon, Pfizer and Time Warner.

February 14, 2013 - The North Carolina governor may soon get to appoint all members of the N.C. Utilities Commission -- even though he's heavily invested in the state's largest regulated utility. Now a watchdog group is calling on him to come clean about just how big those holdings are.

February 13, 2013 - As commissioners consider whether to approve Duke Energy's controversial electric generation plan, the legislature wants to fire all of them and let Gov. Pat McCrory appoint a new slate. But given McCrory's longstanding ties to -- and ongoing investments in -- the utility giant, watchdogs say that represents a serious conflict of interest.

February 6, 2013 - Conservative mega-donor Art Pope has helped finance a movement to discredit mainstream climate science. Now North Carolina's budget director, he will help make important fiscal decisions for a state facing serious threats from climate change.