Nov 15 2008
Former State Senator Hugh Webster Indicted
Former state Sen. Hugh Webster has been indicted on a felony embezzlement charge, a spokeswoman with the state Attorney General’s Office said Friday.
The Caswell County Republican also has been charged with a felony count of exploitation of an elder adult, Noelle Talley, the spokeswoman said. The State Bureau of Investigation conducted the inquiry, she said.
According to an affidavit in support of a search warrant signed by a financial crimes agent with the SBI, Webster’s aunt withdrew $12,115 from a retirement account and gave it to her nephew after he told her he could get a higher interest at his Raleigh credit union, the Associated Press reported.
“She never received any interest or bank statements” after the IRA check was deposited, the affidavit said.
“I have absolutely, totally not embezzled anything,” said Webster, who lives near Yanceyville.
Webster, 65, said the indictment stemmed from a financial dispute with the aunt.
“It will be very easy to discredit her,” he said.
Hugh Webster is a bit of an, um… nut. But I never could have imagined him as a corrupt nut. I hope this is just a horrible misunderstanding.
I noticed something else about this article- there’s a little sidebar entitled “Hugh Webster has been a Controversial Figure”. Oh really? Well, what has Hugh done that’s so “controversial”?
* October 1998: Webster passes out “Can’t Feed ‘Em, Don’t Breed ‘Em” stickers as House Republicans choose which counties will be allowed to experiment with welfare reform.
* November 2004: Webster pushes for legislation that would allow the public to inspect company records related to tax breaks. The proposal fails in the Senate vote.
* January 2005: Webster is the lone senator who opposes a smoking ban that is introduced on the first day of the legislative session.
* April 2005: Webster is the primary sponsor of Senate Bill 976, which he said would protect North Carolinians from illegal immigrants who commit voter fraud or receive taxpayer-subsidized health care.
Excuse me, but could someone tell me what is controversial about any of that? Sounds like common sense and a good healthy appreciation of liberty and responsibility to me. If it’s an example of anything, it’s of how out of touch the N&O is with reality.
I am an 8th grader who lives in Raleigh and I got a chance to meet Hugh Webster during a field trip to the Republican Campaign Center of Raleigh. He seemed a little abnormal but I liked him. He sounded, strangely, like one of the few people in politics with common sense anymore. I was disappointed to see him lose his election, but even more upset to hear about this. Although everyone accused of a crime denies it, I believe him. From what he told us about what he’s been through and the kind of person he is, I don’t think he would commit such a crime. It was either a misunderstanding, or just completely false. Then again, what do I know, I’m just a “kid”.