NC Realtors Association

In a little noticed action in 2007 the National Association of Realtors was fined $78,000 by the Federal Election Commission for violations of election law including $282,500 spent on mailings and advertisements expressly advocating the election of Richard Burr for Senate in 2004. The FEC found that the National Association of Realtors 527 Fund failed to register and file disclosure reports as a Federal political committee and accepted contributions in violation of Federal limits and source prohibitions. In total the NAR 527 Fund spent $2.8 million advocating the election of 9 federal candidates in 2004 including Richard Burr, their favorite son Johnny Isakson, a Georgia realtor, and the disgraced Rick Renzi.

The campaigning for Richard Burr spurred the complaint by one North Carolina man, Thomas Strini, of Mint Hill, and subsequent enforcement action by the FEC.

It is always interesting to review your opponent's campaign finance filing. As expected, my opponent, NC House Republican minority leader Paul "Skip" Stam, finally out fund raised my campaign.

In an op-ed column in the N&O today, Ellis Hankins, who leads the North Carolina League of Municipalities, takes on the Sprawl Lobby and the Realtor Ticks with a clear and convincing argument.

RALEIGH - Don't underestimate the influence of the Realtors in the legislative debate about transfer taxes. They gave $600,000 to lawmakers last year. They've targeted advertising in home districts of legislators. "It's scaring the heck out of a lot of them," said state Sen. Eleanor Kinnaird. "The reality is the Realtors scuttled the [budget] agreement," said Rep. Paul Luebke.

The Realtors are doing all of this to keep North Carolinians from having the right to vote on a local transfer tax that has been used in some counties to lower or hold down property taxes and improve infrastructure.