Concerns over former Governor Mike Easley's campaign finances have both his campaign and the state Democratic Party writing checks to cover questionable contributions.

The party sent $24,086.22 to the state's Board of Elections, representing seven "in kind" donations -- services that Easley says he did for the party.

Easley's campaign added another $2,720 for a series of excessive contributions between 1999 and 2004.

It's all tied to an on-going investigation with a lot of focus on travel and use of cars by the governor's campaign and his family.

The checks do not clear the situation up.

"That does not mean that this investigation by the state board of elections is over, concluded, or anything of that sort. It is not," Board of Elections Chairman Larry Leake said. "It is ongoing."

Leake said they're going to take their time with the investigation, but acknowledged something seems off with money that moved back and forth between Easley's campaign and the state party.

"The $24,000 has to do with contributions which the Easley campaign had advised the North Carolina Democratic Party that it had expended on behalf of the party," Leake said. "And now there is some concern as to whether those expenditures were on behalf of the party."

Party officials released a statement saying they hope the check they sent today puts the matter to rest from their end.

"We do not know that these contributions were improper, and until questions were raised, had no reason whatsoever to believe that they might be improper," state party Chairman David Young said in a letter to the Board of Elections.

Calls to Easley's lawyer were not returned.

Watchdog group Democracy North Carolina says there's no question something improper was going on.

"It was for the benefit of the Easley campaign. It was an Easley campaign expenditure and contribution," Democracy North Carolina Executive Director Bob Hall said. "And it was a violation of the law."

Hall said he fully expects a hearing on the issue once the investigation wraps up, and that the entire issue highlights a major problem with North Carolina politics in general.

The Board of Elections will only have a hearing on the issue if the investigation they're conducting now warrants it.

Leake said he does not expect any sort of resolution before Labor Day.