paul newby

July 10, 2015 - Wealthy special interests are increasingly spending money to influence state judicial races, threatening the independence of judges and damaging public confidence in the integrity of the courts.

October 17, 2014 - In the first election since the end of North Carolina's judicial public financing program, Supreme Court and Court of Appeals candidates have raised nearly three times the amount of individual contributions as they had in recent elections -- and much of that money is coming from those with matters before the courts.

September 11, 2014 - A Facing South analysis finds that candidates for the North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals are set to spend record sums on campaign ads in the coming weeks. The election will be the first in a decade without the state's public financing program for judges, and special-interest money is pouring in.

September 5, 2014 - Two election cycles after the landmark Supreme Court decision loosening restrictions on corporate money in politics, research is emerging that assesses its impact on our political system -- and it finds that the decision has disproportionately benefited Republicans, especially in North Carolina and Tennessee.

August 29, 2014 - Groups in favor of and opposed to school vouchers have invested heavily in the North Carolina legislature and the state Supreme Court, which is now being asked to release voucher money despite a recent lower court ruling that the program is unconstitutional.

March 27, 2014 - The Renew North Carolina Foundation, a political nonprofit supporting the agenda of Gov. Pat McCrory, doesn't have to disclose its donors. But thanks to a shareholder push for transparency, we now know that tobacco giant Reynolds American donated $50,000 to the group last year.

March 7, 2014 - In the wake of a massive coal ash spill, Duke Energy's influence with North Carolina lawmakers has drawn heightened scrutiny. But as the utility giant faces new legal challenges, what influence does it have in state courts?