RALEIGH — Former North Carolina Rep. Jason Saine and Greater Carolina leader David Coble have been indicted by a Wake County grand jury on felony charges tied to the politically active nonprofit’s finances.
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman told WRAL that Saine, a Republican from Lincoln County who once served as a top House budget writer, faces charges of embezzlement and obtaining property by false pretense. Freeman said Coble faces the same charges and that Saine also is accused of aiding and abetting Coble.
WBTV reported that Wake County court records list four felony counts against Saine, including two counts of obtaining property by false pretense and two counts involving embezzlement of more than $100,000. The station reported that Coble faces five felony counts, including an additional count involving less than $100,000.
An indictment is a formal accusation, not a finding of guilt. Saine denied committing a crime and said he was not involved in the organization’s spending or fundraising decisions. He said he looks forward to clearing his name. WBTV reported that Coble referred questions to an attorney, who had not responded before publication.
The charges concern Greater Carolina, a nonprofit social welfare organization that promoted pro-business and free-market policies. The group drew scrutiny after it sponsored a 2024 Kentucky bourbon tour attended by North Carolina lawmakers and lobbyists.
Public Radio East reported that the indictment alleges Coble raised money for the organization by promising it would promote state policies favoring business and free enterprise, while the money was instead used for personal benefit. The same report said the court documents released Thursday do not provide additional detail about Saine’s alleged role in the spending.
Freeman described the charges as part of an ongoing, multi-year investigation. She said social welfare organizations are common in politics but remain subject to laws governing ethics and lobbying. The case is expected to transition to incoming Wake County District Attorney Wiley Nickel when Freeman leaves office.
Saine resigned from the legislature in August 2024 and later worked as a lobbyist. Public Radio East reported that Saine and Coble are scheduled for their first court appearance Dec. 7.
Sources
- WBTV court-record reporting on the indictments
- WRAL report and district attorney statement
- Public Radio East/WUNC report on the court documents
Photo Credit: Alexisrael via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0. Contextual file photograph of the Wake County Justice Center in Raleigh. Center-cropped and resized; adaptation distributed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Editor’s Note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.