A former high-ranking Republican lawmaker now faces criminal charges in a public corruption investigation that has shaken politicians and lobbyists alike since it began last year, Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman told WRAL on Thursday. Jason Saine, a Lincoln County Republican, was indicted by a Wake County grand jury on charges of embezzlement and obtaining property by false pretense, Freeman said. Saine was a top state budget writer before his resignation from the legislature two years ago. It has close ties to a nonprofit group called Greater Carolina that is at the center of the investigation. It was founded by his former employee and more recently run by his political ally David Coble. Saine declined to be interviewed Thursday, but in a written statement said he is innocent of the charges. “I hope to clear my name,” he said. Greater Carolina and similarly organized nonprofits are often called dark money groups, which are allowed to largely hide their donors and spending from the public eye. They also tend to be heavily involved in state politics, and Freeman told WRAL that he went too far in his efforts to influence policy and legislation. He added that more criminal charges could still arise as the investigation remains active. “This is the beginning of this process,” he said in an interview. “This investigation is still ongoing.” Greater Carolina originally came under scrutiny for sending lobbyists and lawmakers on trips to Kentucky to tour bourbon distilleries. A subsequent criminal investigation revealed more details of his previously secret spending, including tens of thousands of dollars more spent on strip clubs, soccer and golf outings, a beach house and more. These groups “have become a ubiquitous part of the political landscape on both sides of the political aisle over the past decade,” Freeman said in a written statement. He added: “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 states that they should not be used as an end to the legal framework embodied in our state’s Ethics Law and lobbying regulations.” Coble was also charged with the same counts of embezzlement and obtaining property by false pretense, Freeman said. He added that Saine also faces an additional charge of aiding and abetting Coble in his alleged crimes. Saine told WRAL that he is innocent and doesn’t understand at all why he was charged. “This organization has an independent board that decides what and where to spend its money, and how to raise it,” he said Thursday. “I was not involved in those decisions, as I told the state. I committed no crime and I look forward to clearing my name.” Saine is represented by Joseph Zeszotarski, the Raleigh criminal defense attorney who is also an attorney for former FBI Director James Comey, in his criminal case in North Carolina for posting a photograph of seashells that President Donald Trump said was a threat to his life. Greater Carolina’s Work in North Carolina Greater Carolina’s official mission was to promote free market ideals, particularly the legalization of sports betting. Saine was a key force behind the legalization of sports betting in North Carolina in 2023. Since then, it has become a multi-billion dollar industry in the state. Search warrants in the case detailing the group’s spending on vacations, sporting events and strip clubs indicate that investigators believe it deviated from the educational purpose such groups must maintain to maintain their nonprofit status. Freeman previously charged four lobbyists, from gambling and alcohol companies, as part of the investigation. In September he reached agreements to dismiss charges against three of the four. They agreed to defer prosecution deals, promising to receive ethics training and pay $1,000 fines in exchange for the charges being dropped. But Freeman has said for months that he hoped to file more charges before leaving office. It was not immediately clear if Thursday’s action was the last or if more could come. Many of the state’s public corruption cases occur in Wake County, as it is home to the state capital and many public agencies. And although Freeman did not seek re-election this year (she will leave office in January and will be replaced by incoming District Attorney Wiley Nickel), that does not mean the investigation is over. Nickel made public corruption a key focus of his campaign in the Democratic Party primaries this spring, promising to focus more on such cases. Nickel previously served in the state Senate and the United States Congress. WRAL state government reporter Caroline Yaffa contributed reporting.
