McCrory a man of honesty

by Phil Kirk, former Chief of Staff to Governors Martin and Holshouser and NC SPIN panelist, published in News and Observer, December 18, 2014.

The front-page news story “ Tree.com payouts to McCrory questioned” on a stock payout to Gov. Pat McCrory is a new all-time low and smacks of biased reporting by The Associated Press. The headline and questionable sources seek to raise questions about the governor’s integrity for accepting money for work rendered before he was elected. The stock payout is 100 percent legal and acceptable per company policy.

The media and some Democrats continue to link many decisions made by this administration to the governor’s longtime employment with Duke Energy. Again, the insinuations are unfair and often a desperate attempt to make news.

Carrying out this faulty line of reasoning would mean that to be elected governor, a person should have been unemployed so there would be no possible conflict of interest!

McCrory and I served as trustees at Catawba College, where we both graduated. I have never known a more honest individual, inside or outside politics. Those who continue to smear his good name and to question his motives will find that voters are smarter than they are often given credit for.

This is another excellent example of why more honest and capable individuals refuse to run for public office.

PHIL KIRK