Articles by Tom Foreman Jr. and Emery P. Dalesio

Former Head of North Carolina GOP Pleads Guilty in Insurance Commissioner Bribery Case

The former chairman of North Carolina’s Republican Party admitted Wednesday that he broke the law by lying to federal agents about his role in an alleged effort to bribe the state’s top insurance regulator to help a major GOP donor. …

Duke Energy Sued Over Environmental Damage to Dan River from 2014 Coal Ash Spill

The federal, North Carolina and Virginia governments asked a court Thursday to declare the country’s largest electricity company liable for environmental damage from a leak five years ago that left miles of a river shared by the two states coated …

Duke University to Pay $54M to Settle Suit Over Hiring Agreement with UNC

Duke University is agreeing to pay $54.5 million to settle claims that it and nearby University of North Carolina conspired to hold down salaries of medical professors by agreeing not to hire staff away from each other. Lawyers for the …

Study: Extensive Coal Ash Detected at Bottom of North Carolina Lake

A toxic stew of coal ash has spilled repeatedly and apparently unnoticed from storage pits at a Wilmington power plant into an adjoining lake, according to a Duke University scientist who said Monday that flooding last September from Hurricane Florence …

Future of Insurance Firms Owned by Indicted N.C. Campaign Donor Uncertain

Insurance companies owned by a big-money donor accused of trying to bribe North Carolina’s top insurance regulator for easy treatment are on the sales block and under review by at least one rating agency. Entrepreneur Greg Lindberg was indicted earlier …

Focus Turns to Insurance Investor’s North Carolina Political Donations After Indictment

In return for a promised $2 million payout, federal prosecutors say, the investor who has recently been North Carolina’s biggest political donor wanted something from the state’s top insurance regulator: go easy on his insurance companies. Now Greg Lindberg is …

Former N.C. Insurance Chief Goodwin Denies Aiding Indicted Political Donor

North Carolina’s former top insurance regulator said Friday he never performed favors for a big-money donor and he relied on staff experts when his agency approved changes benefiting the businessman now charged with trying to bribe the state’s current insurance …

North Carolina Orders Duke Energy to Excavate All Coal Ash

The country’s largest electric company was ordered Monday to excavate coal ash from all of its North Carolina power plant sites, slashing the risk of toxic chemicals leaking into water supplies but potentially adding billions of dollars to the costs …

Duke University to Settle Whistleblower Suit Over Faked-Research for $112M

Duke University will pay $112 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit after federal prosecutors said a research technician’s fake data landed millions of dollars in federal grants, the school and the government said Monday. The private university in Durham submitted …

Pork Giant Loses Another Nuisance Lawsuit by North Carolina Neighbors

Smithfield Foods was found responsible Friday for a fifth time for nuisances neighbors suffered from waste generated by thousands of the company’s hogs. Jurors determined the pork giant should pay $420,000 after four previous juries awarded nearly $550 million in …