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A complaint accusing a Cumberland County elections board member of violating campaign finance law by funneling money from anonymous donors to the county’s Republican Party has been dismissed by the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
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The complaint alleged that Brenda “Bree” Eldridge used a “straw donor” scheme to make a $25,000 campaign contribution that covered a speaking fee in 2022, years before she became a member of the elections board. The state board said the “investigation revealed insufficient evidence of a violation” of campaign finance law, according to a statement provided by the watchdog who made the complaint.
The complaint said the fee covered the cost of a 2022 speech to the county GOP by Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump who pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI and was pardoned by Trump in 2020.
Eldridge, who formerly chaired the Cumberland County GOP, said in a statement to The News & Observer that she is “glad the complaint has now been officially closed,” and that all the accusations in the complaint “were proven to be false.”
“These accusations were based on gossip and rumors,” she said. “I fully cooperated with the state board and provided whatever financial documentation they requested and answered any questions they had for me.”
Longtime North Carolina elections watchdog Bob Hall submitted the complaint against Eldridge.
Hall alleged in the complaint that Eldridge used a straw donor scheme, which consists of someone making a political contribution in their name using anonymous donor funding. He cited affidavits signed by Cumberland County GOP members, meeting minutes and financial reports.
He said in an email statement said that the State Board of Elections “was apparently unable to identify any straw donors.”
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“I think the Board needed to hear from somebody who gave Eldridge money that she didn’t report,” Hall said.
Hall at the time submitted a second complaint against Linda Devore, the Cumberland County Board of Elections chair, accusing her of abusing her power and using authoritarian leadership practices. That complaint was dismissed by the State Board of Elections in April.
Devore told The N&O that the state board “took its time and did a very thorough investigation” into the complaint against Eldridge. She said Eldridge “provided all the bank records, even more than they requested.”
“I was interviewed during the investigation, and assume others were also,” Devore said. “The State Board completed a thorough investigation, including a review of all bank records, and we appreciate their thorough work. Facts are facts.”
Irene Grimes, a Democratic member of the Cumberland County Board of Elections, said of Eldridge’s dismissed complaint that she “believes in the presumption of innocence. And I believe in it very strongly.”
“If the state didn’t find any evidence, or not sufficient evidence, then we all have to abide by that and be happy with it,” Grimes said.
The board has said state law prevents it from commenting on the findings of campaign finance investigations, The News & Observer reported. A 2018 law passed by the Republican-controlled legislature created a secret process for the probes.
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