RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A political operative who guided former Gov. Mike Easley's two campaigns for North Carolina's top office testified Wednesday before a federal grand jury investigating activities surrounding the Democratic governor.
Jay Reiff arrived with attorney Michael Weisel shortly before 9 a.m. and left 2 1/2 hours later. Weisel told reporters his client fully answered all the questions from the jury. He would not go into detail on what questions Reiff was asked.
Reiff, who was campaign manager for Easley's winning 2000 and 2004 gubernatorial campaigns, also declined to comment as he left the federal courthouse in Raleigh.
The State Board of Elections tried to subpoena Reiff for an investigative hearing last month, but Chairman Larry Leake said at the time the state's subpoena couldn't compel him to testify because he was working outside of North Carolina at the time.
Weisel said Reiff was working in Virginia at the time, but had several interviews with board staff and made himself available to be called as a witness.
During last month's hearing, the election board presented documents identified as fundraising strategies written by then-Easley campaign officials suggesting that the Democratic Party begin handling some contributions dedicated to Easley.
A memo from Reiff from May 2000 said they could move "any or all expenditures" from the campaign to the party and pay for them with contributions to the party, a move that some have charged was an attempt to get around limits on campaign donations.
State law allows a donor to give unlimited money to a party, but only as much as $4,000 to an individual candidate per election.
Subpoenas also were issued to six current or former officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to appear starting Wednesday before the grand jury, which has been hearing testimony for months in a wide-ranging probe of activities involving Easley and his wife. No one has been charged with wrongdoing by federal authorities.
Reiff also served as campaign manager for then-State Treasurer Richard Moore's unsuccessful bid for governor in 2008. Moore lost to then-Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue in the Democratic primary.
