2007 letter from Holden to Easley carried instructions to shred

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A bizarre letter has surfaced written to then-Gov. Mike Easley from then Southport Mayor Norman Holden. The letter is on City of Southport letterhead, and has a memo attached advising the governor to shred it after reading.

Dated November 2007, in Holden’s last few days as mayor of Easley’s hometown, the letter bashes some Brunswick County Republicans and complains about a county engineer who has been causing Holden problems. Holden ends by writing, “Thanks for everything.”

At the time, Holden had a lucrative contract, serving as a liaison for the state Department of Transportation. Earlier this week, Holden testified before a federal grand jury in Raleigh investigating Easley.