RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - An independent political committee that federal prosecutors allege was created to help an insurance magnate bribe North Carolina officials has relinquished the nearly $500,000 it had left to the federal government.

The North Carolina Growth and Prosperity Committee handed over the entire $475,630 in its bank account one day before the criminal case was announced in April, a mid-year campaign finance report filed last week shows. The filing referenced a “legal order,” but a search of court records shows no decision requiring the committee to empty its account.

Federal prosecutors based in Charlotte declined to explain, spokeswoman Lia Bantavani said. The committee’s treasurer, John Palermo, didn’t respond to email or phone messages. The forfeited funds were first reported by WRAL-TV.

Palermo, Durham insurance magnate Greg Lindberg, former North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Robin Hayes and a fourth man were charged with trying to funnel state Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey huge campaign contributions in return for special treatment for his insurance companies based in the state.

All four defendants pleaded not guilty. A trial is scheduled for September.

The indictments say the committee created with $1.5 million of Lindberg’s money was to funnel money to Causey, who reported the alleged bribery attempt. Causey’s campaign also was supposed to get another $500,000 channeled through the state GOP, the indictments said.

Lindberg had contributed more than $7 million since 2016 to state and federal candidates and committees, significantly favoring Republican causes. The state’s top political donor gave the North Carolina Republican Party almost $1.5 million in 2017 and 2018, and $500,000 to the state’s Democrats, according to state campaign finance records.

One Democrat that Lindberg backed was Causey’s predecessor as insurance commissioner, current state Democratic Party chairman Wayne Goodwin. Lindberg gave almost $10,000 to Goodwin’s unsuccessful 2016 campaign and another $450,000 to a committee that produced pro-Goodwin commercials, state campaign finance records show.

Goodwin told The Associated Press in April that he never performed favors for Lindberg. Though his agency approved changes benefiting the businessman, Goodwin said he relied on staff experts when those changes were made.

___

Follow Emery P. Dalesio on Twitter at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/emery%20dalesio .

___

Associated Press writer Jonathan Drew in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed to this report.

Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters

Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC.