Mortellus
Feb 1, 2008
On February 1, 2008, Republican gubernatorial candidate Fred Smith held a barbecue campaign fundraiser at Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy, drawing approximately 150 supporters to the publicly funded charter school's campus. Contemporary reporting confirms the event's political and fundraising purpose, raising questions about the school's facility-use policies and the arrangements under which a partisan campaign obtained access to its property.
What happened: On Friday, February 1, 2008, Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy served as the venue for a political campaign fundraiser featuring Republican state Senator Fred Smith, who was seeking his party's nomination for governor of North Carolina. The event was part of Smith's statewide barbecue campaign tour, which brought him to communities across North Carolina to meet supporters and promote his candidacy. According to an article published in The Daily Courier the following day, approximately 150 people attended the gathering at TJCA.
The newspaper documented Smith discussing his political platform, criticizing Democratic candidates, and calling for a change in North Carolina's political leadership. Local Republican officials were also present, including Rutherford County Commissioner Paul McIntosh, who publicly expressed support for Smith's campaign. Importantly, the newspaper's accompanying photograph caption explicitly identified the gathering as a barbecue fundraiser. The event was therefore not simply a visit by an elected official, a student civics presentation, or a nonpartisan candidates' forum. It was a partisan campaign fundraising event conducted on the property of a publicly funded school.
What was established:
A gubernatorial campaign brings its statewide tour to TJCA
Fred Smith was serving in the North Carolina Senate when he launched his campaign for governor. His campaign organized barbecue gatherings throughout the state to build support among Republican voters. The February 1 visit included stops in the region before the evening event at TJCA. The Daily Courier reported that approximately 150 attendees gathered to hear Smith speak about his political priorities and his campaign for governor. The candidate described his campaign's progress, expressed confidence in his message, and emphasized his intention to reach voters throughout North Carolina. The newspaper characterized the audience as enthusiastic Republican supporters.
The event features partisan campaign messaging
Smith used the appearance to criticize Democratic candidates and the political leadership in Raleigh. He discussed taxation, economic development, government spending, and his experience as a county commissioner and state senator. He also emphasized his conservative political record, including his efforts to advance a proposed constitutional amendment concerning marriage. Smith presented himself as an alternative to the state's existing leadership and argued that changes in government were necessary. His remarks were not limited to an explanation of public policy or his duties as a sitting state senator. They formed part of an active campaign to secure the governorship.
Local Republican officials publicly support the candidate
Rutherford County Commissioner Paul McIntosh was among the local officials present. McIntosh addressed attendees and expressed his support for Smith's candidacy. His participation further established the gathering as a campaign-oriented event attended by local political supporters.
The newspaper's photograph provided additional documentation. Its caption identified Smith as a Republican gubernatorial candidate addressing approximately 150 people at a barbecue fundraiser held at Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy.
Why the fundraiser raises important questions
Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy operated as a public charter school while also being governed through a nonprofit organizational structure. The use of its campus for partisan campaign fundraising consequently raises questions about how the event was authorized and what support, if any, the Academy provided. The Internal Revenue Service's Revenue Ruling 2007-41, issued before the fundraiser took place, explains that organizations exempt under Section 501(c)(3) may not intervene in political campaigns on behalf of candidates. The ruling also addresses the circumstances under which such organizations may rent facilities to political campaigns without engaging in prohibited campaign intervention. Among the relevant considerations are whether facilities are generally available for rent, whether competing candidates receive equal access, whether customary fees are charged, and whether the arrangement is part of the organization's ordinary activities.
One example in the ruling specifically concerns a museum renting its event hall to a political candidate for a fundraising dinner. The IRS concludes that an ordinary rental at established rates, under a neutral policy available to other users, does not constitute prohibited campaign intervention. Those distinctions make the actual arrangements surrounding the TJCA fundraiser central to understanding the event. The newspaper confirms that the fundraiser occurred on campus, but does not identify whether Smith's campaign rented the property, whether fees were charged, who authorized the event, or whether similar access was available to other candidates. These are questions that contemporaneous contracts, invoices, Board records, and facility-use policies could answer.
Why the incident matters: The February 2008 fundraiser is a significant historical record of TJCA's relationship with electoral politics. Two years earlier, the Academy hosted a student-organized legislative candidates' forum that invited participants from both political parties.
The February 2008 event was materially different. It was a fundraiser for one Republican gubernatorial candidate, attended by supporters and local Republican officials. The school's involvement beyond providing the venue remains to be established. The central archival question is whether TJCA made its facilities available through an ordinary, politically neutral arrangement or provided some form of preferential support to a particular campaign. That question cannot be answered from the newspaper account alone, but the documented fundraising activity makes the underlying records worth pursuing.
Original evidence:
Scott Baughman, The Daily Courier, February 2, 2008, p. 10, "GOP governor candidate holds county fundraisers." Contemporary reporting on Fred Smith's February 1 campaign appearance at TJCA, including campaign remarks, local political support, and attendance.
Scott Baughman, The Daily Courier, February 2, 2008, accompanying photograph and caption explicitly identifying the TJCA event as a barbecue fundraiser.
Internal Revenue Service, Revenue Ruling 2007-41, June 2007. Contemporary federal guidance addressing political campaign intervention and facility rentals by Section 501(c)(3) organizations.
Subsequent developments: Later in 2008, TJCA also served as the venue for a congressional town hall meeting featuring Republican Representative Patrick McHenry and announced an academic symposium featuring Republican Senator-elect Debbie Clary. Those events differed in purpose from the Smith fundraiser and are documented separately in this archive. The February 1 fundraiser remains particularly significant because it involved an active political campaign's fundraising activities rather than an official town hall or educational presentation. TJCATruth.com has not yet obtained the facility-use agreement, rental records, authorization, or financial documentation associated with Smith's event. We welcome historical contracts, invoices, rental policies, campaign materials, Board correspondence, and other records establishing how the fundraiser was arranged and what resources TJCA provided.
Report from the community: The contemporary newspaper account preserves statements made by Smith and County Commissioner McIntosh, both of whom participated in the event.
The article also documents the size of the gathering and its explicit campaign fundraising purpose. TJCATruth.com has not yet received additional firsthand accounts from individuals involved in arranging or hosting the fundraiser. We welcome recollections from former administrators, Board members, employees, parents, campaign volunteers, and attendees who can clarify how the event was organized and what arrangements were made for use of the school. Individuals with relevant firsthand experiences are encouraged to contact TJCATruth.com. Requests for anonymity will be respected, and identifying information will not be published without the contributor's explicit consent. All submissions will be handled with discretion and confidentiality.