Les Merritt

Who is Les Merritt?

Leslie Merritt is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of North Carolina and a former North Carolina State Auditor, a position to which he was elected in 2004. Merritt was defeated by Democrat Beth Wood in the 2008 election as part of a Democratic sweep. Wood succeeded Merritt in January 2009. Shortly thereafter, Merritt joined with former FBI Agent Frank Perry to form the Foundation for Ethics in Public Service. Perry had also served as the lead investigator at the Auditor's Office. Merritt was executive director of the foundation from 2009 through 2011. In 2013 he was appointed to the state Ethics Commission, but had to resign after almost ten months in office over a perceived conflict regarding his status as a state contractor. In February 2012, Merritt joined the board of directors of the NC Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

Merritt was born and raised in rural Sampson County. He and his wife now live in the eastern Wake County town of Zebulon.