WASHINGTON — Dem ex-North Carolina Gov. and current Senate candidate Roy Cooper previously doled out plum state positions to a dark-money-group honcho, his kin and staffers, records show.
Moving NC Forward — which formed in 2017 as a nonprofit that can advocate on issues but doesn’t have to provide donor information — repeatedly boasted in invites to fund-raising events about how either Cooper or his gubernatorial staff would be in attendance.
One of the group’s longtime board members has been Tom Hendrickson, the state’s former Democratic Party chairman who also personally donated at least $15,000 to Cooper since 2000.
After Cooper was elected to the governorship, Hendrickson landed a spot on the state’s Global Transpark Authority in 2017, to which he was reappointed in 2023.
He also scored a position on the Marine Fisheries Commission in 2018.
In addition, his daughter Katie was tapped in 2017 by Cooper’s administration for a perch as deputy director of the state’s Boards and Commissions, where she vetted key appointees for different commissions and boards in the North Carolina government.
She also served as a transition aide for Cooper’s campaign after his 2016 election victory.
Hendrickson’s wife, Jill, landed a spot on the Tryon Palace Commission in 2017, as well.
Together, the three have donated some $35,000 to Cooper’s Senate campaign, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Moving NC Forward’s ’s original treasurer, Jewell Wilson, also notched an appointment to the state’s Western Residence Board under Cooper’s tenure.
The dark-money group’s lawyer, Kate Connelly, meanwhile served as the then-governor’s former 2016 campaign finance director. She now runs her own financial consulting firm.
Moving NC Forward is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that advocates for various causes such as public education and has largely been seen as aligned with Cooper’s agenda during his time as governor, according to local outlet WRAL.
As a 501(c)(4), Moving NC Forward was allowed to engage in political advocacy work on certain policy issues without having to divulge donor information that a traditional political action committee would.
In 2017, WRAL reported that Moving NC Forward attracted donors to a fundraiser by promising the chance to meet Cooper.
Two years later, the group blasted out another invite to a fundraiser featuring over a dozen of his gubernatorial team, including the chief of staff, according to the outlet.
Cooper is the Democratic Senate nominee for North Carolina in a bid widely seen as one of the party’s top pickup opportunities in light of Sen. Thom Tillis’ (R-NC) forthcoming retirement.
He is facing off against Republican Michael Whatley.
Cooper has a considerable 6.8 percentage point edge over Whatley in the latest RealClearPolitics polling aggregate.
Neither Cooper’s nor Hendrickson’s campaign responded to Post requests for comment.
