RALEIGH -- Rep. Thomas Wright refused to testify Tuesday before state elections officials as they investigate whether the Democratic lawmaker from New Hanover County broke state campaign finance laws.

The State Board of Elections opened a public hearing to examine what the board called "potential violations" identified during a probe that began five months ago. Wright, a once-close ally of disgraced former House Speaker Jim Black, has denied deliberately hiding information from state regulators about money donated to his campaign.

The investigation was initiated by a former Democratic consultant who alleged in December that Wright and his campaign broke elections law by delaying the disclosure of $41,000 in campaign donations.

The board is also looking into more than $119,000 that political committees reported giving to Wright's campaign since 1992, but that the campaign didn't identify receiving.

Before Tuesday's hearing, state elections director Gary Bartlett had said Wright and his attorney were cooperating with the investigation. But when called to testify Tuesday, Wright declined and invoked his Fifth Amendment right to protect himself against self incrimination.

The board did hear testimony from Karen Davis, a former co-treasurer from Wright's campaign, who said she reviewed but couldn't recall signing three campaign checks made out to Wright personally in the fall of 2002. The checks totaled $2,800.

The campaign's other co-treasurer, Davis' ex-husband Daryle Parker, testified that Wright controlled most of the campaign's finances. Parker said he wrote some checks and collected contributions for the campaign, but never received cash or corporate contributions on behalf of Wright's campaign.

Neither Davis nor Parker still act as the campaign's treasurer.

Board investigator Kim Strach testified that Wright kept four accounts in his name or in the campaign's name that accepted campaign contributions, but Wright only disclosed one account that handled the transactions.

Strach said the accounts commingled personal and political funds, including nearly $9,000 from three corporations that donated money to a community health foundation that Wright chaired.

Using corporate donations for political purposes is illegal in North Carolina.

The board subpoenaed testimony from Wright and five Wilmington-area residents who have links to his campaign, his work with the health foundation or an effort to open a museum to remember the 1898 Wilmington Race Riot.

The hearing, scheduled to last two days, also will examine an unrelated campaign finance complaint against Rep. Mary McAllister, D-Cumberland, involving loan repayments she may have received from her campaign.

At the hearing's close, the five-member board could make rulings -- including levying monetary fines -- or refer the case to a local prosecutor to consider possible criminal charges.

Joe Sinsheimer, the consultant who filed separate complaints against Wright and McAllister, accused Wright of hiding money donated by several people linked to Sims Group USA. The company wanted to build the Hugo Neu landfill in Navassa -- a controversial issue leading up to Wright's 2006 primary campaign.

Sinsheimer operated a Web site for about a year that focused on the legal and ethical questions surrounding Black, who in February accepted plea agreements in state and federal court for corruption-related crimes.

Wright had been a political ally of Black and signed a letter in January praising his eight years as speaker, particularly for his efforts at placing minorities in leadership roles.

In his complaint against McAllister, Sinsheimer alleged her campaign reports showed she loaned her campaign $5,669 from 2002 to 2004, but repaid herself more than twice the amount.

McAllister has said it was a reporting error and the overpayments never occurred. Her attorney said the nine-term House member did nothing illegal.

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