A former state lawmaker was indicted on embezzlement charges Thursday related to a public corruption case.
Former N.C. Rep. Jason Saine, R-Lincoln, faces two counts each of embezzlement and obtaining property by false pretenses. The indictment says he "aided and abetted" David Coble, leader of the dark money group Greater Carolina. Coble faces similar charges; court documents say he solicited contributions to the group under false pretenses and then spent it "for his and others' personal benefit" on items like "food and beverages, tickets for athletic events, hotel and other accommodations."
The indictments are the latest in Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman's ongoing investigation into Greater Carolina, which sponsored trips to a Kentucky bourbon distillery that were attended by multiple legislators.
"From the beginning, the focus of this investigation has been to determine what, if any, laws were violated in the operation of this organization," Freeman said in a news release Thursday. "Social welfare organizations organized under the 501(c)(4) provision of the Internal Revenue Code have become a pervasive part of the political landscape on both sides of the political aisle over the last decade. While I do not anticipate that will change, this case serves as a reminder that the law places restrictions on the way they operate and sets forth that they should not be used as an end run around the statutory framework embodied in our state’s Ethics Act and lobbying regulations."
Saine, who served as a top budget writer in the House before resigning in 2024 to become a lobbyist, told WUNC News he was not involved with the group's spending decisions and shouldn't be included in the charges.
"I do not understand why I have been charged in this case," he said in a text message. "The indictment claims that I 'aided and abetted' a crime committed by someone else — I did not do that. This organization has an independent board that decided what and where to spend its money, and how to raise it. I was not involved in those decisions, as I told the state. I did not commit any crime and I look forward to clearing my name."
The court documents released Thursday do not include additional details of how Saine was allegedly involved in Greater Carolina's spending. Business North Carolina first reported the pending indictments.
The indictment says Coble raised money for Greater Carolina under the pretense that it would be used in "promoting state policies in favor of business and free enterprise, when in fact the money raised was used for his and others' personal benefit." The improper spending exceeded $100,000, according to the indictment.
Coble is also a real-estate developer based in Mooresville, and until recently he co-hosted a weekly radio show with N.C. Sen. Vickie Sawyer, R-Iredell.
Coble's group came under scrutiny after it sponsored a 2024 Kentucky bourbon distillery tour where a distillery employee accused attendees of drunk and disorderly behavior.
Freeman had previously charged four lobbyists whose clients helped pay for the trip, accusing them of violating the state's lobbying laws. Three of those lobbyists had their charges dismissed in September after agreeing to pay a fine and cooperate with the investigation, The News & Observer reported.
Freeman will leave office at the end of the year, and she said she'll be turning the case over to the new district attorney, former Democratic Congressman Wiley Nickel. Nickel has vowed to make public corruption cases a top priority.
State law puts the Wake County district attorney in charge of those prosecutions, but Senate Minority Leader Sydney Batch, D-Wake, told WUNC News earlier this week she's worried GOP legislators are planning to take that duty away from Nickel in the upcoming lame-duck session.
Saine and Coble are scheduled to make their first court appearance on Dec. 7. Wake County court records show that an order for their arrest was issued Thursday morning.
