Wright told agent he pocketed charitable money for “sweat equity”

RALEIGH (AP) — A state investigator says Representative Thomas Wright put charitable money in his personal bank account for work he called “sweat equity.”

Documents show Wright told a State Bureau of Investigation agent that he kept the money as reimbursement for work he performed for his charitable health foundation. He did not tell the agent what kind of work he had done.

The information comes from a witness list state attorneys filed ahead of a hearing next month before a legislative committee considering ethics charges against Wright. He could be censured or removed from the House. The counts are similar to six felony charges in his criminal indictment.

The criminal and ethics complaints accuse the Wilmington Democrat of improperly using $8,900 in donations from three corporations.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)