Fundraising By Former NC First Lady Is Questioned

N.C. State Provost Larry Nielsen and Campbell have resigned amid scrutiny over Easley's hiring. Easley has said she doesn't plan to.

Though Mary Easley, a 59-year-old attorney, is more gregarious and extroverted than her husband, her work as first lady was mostly done behind the scenes. She has faced criticism, though, over two taxpayer-funded cultural exchange trips to Europe that a state auditor's report last year said piled up nearly $46,000 in "unreasonable and excessive expenses" for items such as caviar and ballet tickets.

N.C. State hired her in 2005 to run the seminar series, and she got new duties and a larger salary — $170,000 annually — last year. Last summer, after a review of her salary increase, UNC system leaders announced that one-third of Easley's salary would have to come from donated private funds.

Companies that worked closely with the Easley administration — including Progress Energy Inc., Blue Cross Blue Shield and AT&T Corp. — gave at least $150,000 to Easley's speakers series while her husband was in office. Some reported donating money to sponsor a speech by former President Bill Clinton in February, two weeks after Mike Easley left office, and said the former first lady's role was not a factor.