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Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low around 50F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Updated: March 26, 2023 @ 7:33 am
There’s a reason longtime State Auditor Beth Wood commands respect (some might say deference) from Democrats and Republicans alike.
Given by state law the duty to “to examine all books, records, files, papers, documents, and financial affairs of every state agency” as well as the power “to summon people to produce records and to answer questions under oath,” her office pokes and prods and peeks under bureaucratic rocks without fear or favor.
Which is to say: She’s in the business of asking tough questions, regardless of politics, and Wood, a Democrat who has served as auditor since 2009, is very good at it. Now the state’s watchdog is being watched. And it’s Wood who’s being asked the tough questions.
To recap: Wood has acknowledged being charged in a hit-and-run accident in December as she was leaving a holiday social in Raleigh.
She was a driving a state-owned car that struck and significantly damaged a parked car on Dec. 8. In fact, Wood’s Toyota Camry lodged itself atop the fender of the parked vehicle to the point that the Camry’s rear right tire was lifted into the air.
Four days later Raleigh police cited her for misdemeanor hit and run resulting in property damage.
In a written statement released last week, Wood expressed remorse for her actions. “I sincerely regret my actions and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement,” she said. “I have served the people of North Carolina as their State Auditor since 2009. I made a mistake in judgment on December 8, but I am committed to continuing to perform my duties with the same energy and determination I am known for.” As for why she chose to leave the scene, Wood said: “I was shaken by the incident and, when I was unable to move my vehicle, I left the scene. That was a serious mistake and I regret my decision.”
Even though it arrived several weeks late, that statement was a helpful step forward, but Wood has yet to fully explain is the circumstances of the accident.
No one was injured. So why was she “shaken”? Fender benders happen. An “automotive loss report” filed with the state on Dec. 12 said Wood was traveling at 15 mph when she struck the parked vehicle and that she was neither using a cellphone or otherwise distracted at the time. So, what reason was there for her to leave? Why not simply seek out the owner of the other vehicle and exchange information? And was Wood under the influence of alcohol when the accident occurred? WRAL-TV has directly asked Wood’s office the second question and, as of Tuesday, had yet to hear back.
Reaction to the accident has been mixed, but not entirely partisan.
The state Republican Party huffed on social media that Wood should resign because leaving the scene “was intentional and wholly unbecoming of an elected official.” But Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson, a Republican, was not so unforgiving.
“Our society is quick to judge and slow to forgive,” Dobson said in a statement issued last week, WRAL reported. “Auditor Wood is a committed public servant and has worked hard for the citizens of North Carolina.”
A spokesman for Gov. Roy Cooper’s office called the accident “a troubling incident” and said “the governor is glad that the auditor has addressed it publicly.” The governor’s office is right. Wood has addressed the accident publicly — but not completely.
So, while it’s true that the party of George Santos (and, by the way, Mark Robinson) has some nerve to call out somebody else on what’s “wholly unbecoming of an elected leader,” Wood should be more forthright. Especially as someone whose office has established a well-earned a reputation for its fine-tooth comb approach to audits, she owes her constituents more answers.
She should tell us the truth … the whole truth. And then let the facts speak for themselves.
Today’s editorial is from The Winston-Salem Journal. The views expressed are not necessarily those of this newspaper.
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