The majority leader, that ABC warehouse, AND The Harding Group
I’m seriously beginning to believe that it’s not the people or party in control of government. It’s the
size of government and the character of those we trust to administer our government. Both Rs and Ds are quite capable of delivering scandalous behavior. Power and proximity to a lot of other people’s money can do real damage to the average person’s integrity.
I’ve often said the best way to clean up government is to shrink its size and scope of influence. Leave fewer opportunities for graft and meddling and other forms of mischief. We have a party that talks a good game about cutting government, but they can’t seem to ever get it done.
There’s a game out there where partisans dismiss reporting on scandalous behavior by focusing on
the politics of the person exposing it. Tom Fiedler got dismissed for his reporting on NCGOP leader Harvey West. Sure, his beliefs are to the left of mine and those of most readers of this site. But Fiedler won acclaim for his reporting in the 1984 presidential race on Gary Hart (D). Hart was the Democrats’ best hope against Ronald Reagan that year. Fiedler’s reporting knocked Hart out of the race and likely politics as well.
The N&O’s Dan Kane has been dismissed as a liberal hack. The problem with that? His reporting did a lot of damage to now-former governors Mike Easley (D) and Bev Perdue (D).
Now we hear a lot about former liberal activist Bob Hall. I am not a fan of Hall. Some of his *scoops* are nit-picky and partisan. But sometimes he is right on the money – calling something out that needs some investigation, some transparency and some public discussion.
Republicans took over in Raleigh in 2010 promising to offer something cleaner and more transparent than what Jim Black and Tony Rand had been force-feeding the public for years. Then, they turned around and gave the people Thom Tillis, Phil Berger, and Tim Moore.
The writer’s personal politics are less important than their work product. Do they tell the truth — with receipts to back it all up? Is their reporting actually significant and relevant?
We’ve passed on reports about the Greater Carolina probe and the kerfuffle over the state ABC board. Now we’re hearing reports about a sketchy-looking and -sounding business established by a powerful legislative leader – House majority leader Brenden Jones — just in time for the latest round of appropriations:
[…] But who will hold Rep. Jones accountable?
A report last week says he apparently deceived the public about a scheme designed to enrich his political contributors.
The News & Observer reported that Jones told legislators in June 2025 that the ABC Commission chair wanted approval for a “public private partnership” to build a new high-tech liquor warehouse.
Jones’ House colleagues voted for approval – but the ABC chair actually opposed that plan! House members were also not told which developer would implement the “partnership.
Soon after the vote, Jones and a lobbyist for the apparent chosen developer met with ABC chair Hank Bauer. Bauer told them the plan was “horrible.” It would cost $589 million in lease payments over 25 years, and the developer would still own the warehouse.
Bauer instead wants approval for the commission to borrow $310 million to build the warehouse, which it would repay with ABC sales and permits. The loan is authorized in a Senate bill, but Rep. Jones told Bauer the House would only agree to the lease plan with a private developer.
The chosen developer, M Group Companies, has projects in a dozen states with a main office in Florida. One subsidiary owns 77 acres near Statesville zoned for a distribution center
Donors tied to M Group have contributed $520,000 to North Carolina Republican legislators since 2023, plus another $118,500 to a national GOP conduit that finances campaigns here.Rep. Brenden Jones’ campaign is among the leading recipients, with $59,200.Jones got about half the money before, and half shortly after, passing the bill for the public-private partnership.
Taking legislative action in exchange for campaign money is a federal and state crime. I wonder if the N&O story will prompt the U.S. Attorney or Wake County District Attorney to investigate Rep. Jones’ actions.
If an investigation begins, it will likely dovetail with one underway involving liquor and M Group lobbyists, legislators, and a secretive trip to distilleries in Kentucky.
There’s more for investigators to dig into:
• Harding Group: In the same month that M Group bought land for a warehouse site, Brenden Jones formed Harding Group LLC. (Harding is his middle name.) The Harding Group’s website says it “delivers authoritative expertise in transportation, construction, logistics and property development.” Is M Group a Harding Group client? Do any of the clients receive state funds? […]
If you go to the Harding Group website, you don’t see any info about past projects, any specifics about services offered, or any info about the professional team. Just a phone number, a PO Box for *snail mail*, and email.
But you do get this ambiguous mess:
I am still not sure about what they are trying to sell me. *Authoritative expertise?* (Jones and his wife offer all that?)
I’ve talked with friends in Columbus County who tell me Jones is best known for helping out at his daddy’s used car lot. He IS reportedly a silent partner in a few small commercial developments in the Columbus County town of Fair Bluff.
We checked out the registration information for the Harding Group:
The registered agent is a Tabor City-based attorney. The registered address is the attorney’s office. Jones and his wife are the two identified “members”. The “principal office address” is the legislator’s home address.
And there’s a little more from Hall:
• M Group’s Road: Last year, the N&O exposed how M Group got $15 million from the state legislature for a road in its Mooresville development – even though it promised local officials it would build the road “at no cost to taxpayers.” There’s also some evidence a lobbyist got a kickback from a legislator central to the road’s state grant. […]
