In Nunn We Trust, But Munford Pays Cash
In their race to replace retiring Republican Rep. Art Pope, R-Wake, in state House District 34, leading GOP candidates Al Nunn and R. Donavon (Don) Munford Jr. have staked competing claims to be the true conservative. Nunn, we see from his TV ads, is the man you can trust to safeguard “families.” Controversial, but he’s not afraid to say it. However, Munford might just do him one better, at least as far as Republican primary voters are concerned: He’s the man to trust with your money.Munford, a lawyer, lists among his bona fides loyal service as campaign treasurer for Republican candidates in and around Raleigh. We are now in a position to affirm that, to coin a phrase, you can take Munford to the bank when it comes to your dough, especially if there’s a lot of it.
Our evidence? This note, recent but undated, which we found as we rifled through the campaign reports of former Raleigh Mayor Paul Coble at the Wake County Board of Elections office:
“Dear Mr. Munford,” the note began. “It is such a pleasure to audit your reports because you do such a remarkable job with such a great deal of data!
“I have audited both the Annual (report) and its amendment and need to ask for a very few changes as follows …” the note continued. It should be said that most reports of this kind are replete with blunders and obfuscations. Coble’s, according to the writer, had just two little mistakes. The writer was Angela T. Pace, campaign finance director, Wake County Board of Elections.
Munford and Nunn have said they expect their campaign “data” to total about $150,000 each. A third candidate in the race, retired State Capitol Police Lt. J.H. Ross, is expecting to raise less than $3,000, which would exempt him from all the reporting requirements–including, of course, those of Ms. Pace.
