News Roundup

The criminal cases against Greg Lindberg and Robin Hayes arising from their attempt to bribe State Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey to give favorable treatment to Lindberg’s insurance business have been regular topics in the News Roundup over the past year.  Lindberg was convicted by a jury earlier this year and Hayes pleaded guilty last year.  As the Charlotte Observer reports, both men were in federal court this week for sentencing.  Keep reading for more on this story and other news. Bribery Scheme.  Lindberg received two sentences of more than seven years in prison, which are to run concurrently.  Hayes, who eventually cooperated with investigators, was sentenced to a year of probation.  Another man involved in the scheme, John Gray, was sentenced to more than two years in prison.  At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Max Cogburn called the bribery scheme “a serious breach of the law” and said that the sentences were meant to “deter people who think it’s a good idea to bribe officials in North Carolina.” Lewis.  Late yesterday afternoon, WBTV reported that North Carolina House Rules Chairman David Lewis has been charged with two federal financial crimes – making false statements to a bank and failing to file a tax return. A bill of information filed in the case says that Lewis opened a bank account in the name of “NC GOP, Inc.,” an entity that did not actually exist, and wrote checks from his campaign account that he deposited into the NC GOP, Inc., account.  Allegedly, [...]