Mary Easley apparantly will no longer be able to do part of her controversial job at NC State University.

The university halted the creation of all new academic centers. Under the former first lady’s five-year contract and $170,000 a year job description, she was supposed to create and run a Center for Public Safety Leadership.

Terri Lomax, NCSU’s Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies, said the decision came down to money and was part of Friday’s budget discussions.

"As one part of that we said we're going to put a moratorium on any new centers or institutes until the budget situation clears up,” Lomax said.

Lomax said the university could face 18 percent budget cuts and the moratorium has nothing to do with the current controversy surrounding Mary Easley’s job.

"It does not, this is purely a budgetary response,” Lomax said.

Mary Easley's attorney, Marvin Schiller, declined to comment on what he called “university discussions.” But last week he did hold a news conference and announced the former first lady would not step down from her position despite calls from several university and UNC system leaders for her to do so, saying Easley got the job on her own merit.

Easley was initially hired in 2005 during the time her husband was governor, to run a speakers series. Last year she was given a new position, more duties and a huge pay raise. How she got the job, is now under scrutiny from university officials and federal authorities.