Ethics board clears Moffitt

RALEIGH – The State Ethics Commission has dismissed a complaint against Republican Rep. Tim Moffitt brought by his political challenger.

The commission determined there was no probable cause to show Moffitt violated state law or the state Ethics Act during a meeting with Democrat Brian Turner on Feb. 24 at Travinia Italian Kitchen in Biltmore Park.

Turner faces Moffitt in the November election in House District 116.

He has said Moffitt asked him to drop out of the race during the meeting. He said Moffitt told him he wanted to focus on running for speaker of the House instead of running for re-election in his district.

Turner claimed Moffitt suggested he would be rewarded if he quit and punished if he did not.

The reward, according to Turner, appeared to be a job running UNC-TV. The punishment was action by outside political groups that would destroy his and his family’s reputation, Turner said.

Turner, in his complaint, said Moffitt violated statutes dealing with people offering or accepting something of value in exchange for political support.

The Ethics Commission found no evidence to support those claims. Turner filed a similar complaint with the state Board of Elections.

Turner on Tuesday declined comment, saying he had not yet heard from the Ethics Commission about its decision.

Moffitt on Tuesday said he knew the charges were untrue.

“When you’re a Republican in elected office, it seems that such attacks are just part of the job,” he said in a written statement announcing the dismissal. “You have to have a thick skin. But it’s been very tough on my family.”

Moffitt said the complaints were political and show “how desperate Mr. Turner is to get into office.”

The dismissal is a step in clearing the way for Moffitt to raise money for his campaign. He said he’s held off on asking people for money because of the complaints.

The elections board has not announced a decision in its investigation.

Turner, meanwhile, raised $90,000 in the first quarter.

Moffitt got donations totaling $5,000 from a bank and two political action committees, according to recent campaign finance filings.

Moffitt had raised $40,787 by the end of December last year.