I hate to keep beating up on Kieran Shanahan (okay, I really don’t but it’s a good lead in anyway), but what is it with this guy? First, he takes a job with the McCrory Administration as Secretary of Public Safety. Then, we find out that he wants to keep working at his law firm at the same time. Next, we discover that his wife is running a lobbying operation out of the same office as the law firm. And finally, we learn that one of Shanahan’s law partners is a McCrory appointee to the Banking Commission. What a cozy operation!

Fortunately, Secretary Shananhan fixed everything by taking a leave from his law firm. Or did he? It sure doesn’t look like it. On page 31 of the current issue of Best Lawyers magazine, Shanahan has a quarter page ad for his law firm congratulating himself for being–surprise, surprise–one of the Best Lawyers in America in 2013.

He took the appointment in January 2013 so what’s he doing advertising for law business now? If he’s not practicing law, is he still making money off of his law firm? If so, that’s no less a conflict of interest than if he was still practicing. And if he’s not making money off the firm or practicing, then isn’t that ad false advertising?

This guy needs to get his house in order. And speaking of his house, you should see what he’s got. Shanahan has a brand new horse barn that he calls “the Taj Ma Barn” “complete with pool table, dart board, table shuffleboard, bar and large TV.” Boy, do those horses have it good!

Maybe he needs the income from both his law practice and the taxpayers to keep up with the mortgage on that barn. I doubt the horses are making enough to pay the note. But if he can already afford a barn like that, does he really need two incomes?

Shanahan’s problems are just emblematic of McCrory’s administration. There seems to be very little leadership or oversight. Everybody does as they please and nobody is held accountable. Art Pope develops a tax plan that he takes to the General Assembly even though McCrory says he doesn’t endorse it. Shanahan says he’s giving up his law practice, but not really.

McCrory needs to engage. This is not a part-time mayoral gig. This is a full-time governorship. And all this mess happening, from these Shanahan shenanigans to the mess at the legislature, is happening on his watch. I hope voters hold him more accountable than he’s holding his own employees.

(Hey, just for fun check out the photo of Shanahan and his dead elephant. Wonder what he did with that ivory?)

Thomas Mills

Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >