Campaign Watchdog Wants Review Of Appeals Judge's Campaign

A longtime North Carolina campaign finance number-cruncher wants the state elections board to scrutinize an appeals court judge's campaign committee.

Bob Hall founded and led Democracy North Carolina until his recent retirement. He wrote Thursday asking the board to audit and investigate the Phil Berger Jr. committee's finances in 2016. The son of Republican Senate leader Phil Berger was elected to the Court of Appeals that year for an eight-year term.

Hall says he has information indicating two individuals didn't make donations that campaign filings say they made, and called a third donation "suspicious." He also thinks there are missing expenditures from Berger's fundraising events.

The judge didn't return a phone message at his court office seeking comment. There was no response to an email sent through his campaign's website.