From The News & Observer of Raleigh, Aug. 9

It’s a given these days that a statewide candidate will travel many times by air — so often that boarding an aircraft must become almost as routine as getting into a car.

But flying’s routine nature doesn’t relieve the candidate and his or her campaign staff from an obligation to keep a careful accounting. That’s because air travel is expensive, and paying for it becomes entangled with the laws that cover campaign finances. Flights typically are on privately owned aircraft, so traveling at a cut rate or for free amounts to a contribution from whoever made the craft available.

Former Gov. Mike Easley now faces awkward questions from federal authorities because of flights he was provided by political supporters. Would someone perhaps have an ulterior motive in doing such a favor? Might they expect the favor to be returned? Stranger things have happened.

With unpleasant attention having been paid to the Easley air show, it made perfect sense for his successor to take another look as to whether all the proper i’s had been dotted and t’s crossed in the accounting for her airplane trips. Oops — missed a few.

Gov. Beverly Perdue, elected last fall, turned out to have taken 79 flights on privately owned aircraft during 2007 and 2008. Her political committee determined that 17 flights (also including a couple from 2006) either had not been properly reported or paid for. Corrective action now has been taken, with notice given to the state Board of Elections and owners reimbursed $18,729 for their services.

While Perdue’s campaign appears to have been a little sloppy in letting the flights proceed without the rules being followed, at least now the governor will be able to say that she’s gotten everything squared away.

If a candidate takes a flight as a freebie, then the flight’s value is supposed to be reported as a campaign contribution. And donors are limited to $4,000 in total contributions per each election.

Another rule that could be skirted if flights aren’t properly reported is the one that bars North Carolina candidates from taking corporate contributions. Indeed, the whole framework of rules involving the disclosure of campaign finances is meant to curb the influence of special interests that gladly would invest to boost a candidate who then would be expected to help them out in return.

In the case of Perdue’s flights, her benefactors included business people and lawyers. How generous of them to help the candidate make her rounds. And how careful the Perdue campaign organization now is — even if belatedly — to acknowledge that generosity according to law.