Senator Tillis’ hometown paper yesterday said that Tillis is “tangled” in a “growing controversy” with USPS chief Louis DeJoy, and called on Tillis to address DeJoy’s straw donor scandal, press DeJoy “to explain the troubling contributions,” and tell North Carolinians what he “intends to do about” the hundreds of thousands of dollars Tillis received as part of the apparently illegal scheme.

This past weekend, Tillis was named as “one of the biggest beneficiaries” of GOP mega-fundraiser and USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s illegal “straw donor” scheme. Thus far, Tillis has refused to speak out against the scheme and his wealthy mega-donor or said what he plans on doing with donations he received illegally. 

As a campaign finance watchdog told the editorial board, large contributions from employees whose listed occupation generally has a salary that wouldn’t allow for big donations — similar to the ones the New York Times and Washington Post have confirmed Tillis received — are a “red flag,” yet Tillis still has not answered questions about it.

The editorial also sharply criticized Tillis for his “apparent reluctance to criticize his benefactor,” noting how Tillis has been an ardent defender of DeJoy even as he implements “draconian measures” at the Postal Service.

While plenty of questions remain, one thing is clear – Tillis continues to put his wealthy special interests donors ahead of what’s best for North Carolina.

Read the full editorial online here.