Royal no more: Easley luxe life meets a federal grand jury.

(The Fayetteville Observer) - We, and a lot of North Carolina taxpayers, apparently weren’t alone in our curiosity about the jet-setting lifestyle of the Royal Easleys, the state’s former first couple.

Turns out a federal grand jury is curious, too. And it’s trying to satisfy its curiosity with a flurry of subpoenas and testimony.

The first good look at Mike and Mary Easley’s penchant for posh came to light last year, when former State Auditor Les Merritt looked into a lavish expedition the first couple took to Italy, ostensibly to promote trade, which involved luxury limos, deluxe hotels and restaurants. Solo excursions by Mrs. Easley to France and Russia also included eyebrow-raising perks, including a $332 caviar cocktail in Russia, a $27,000 bill for a chauffeur-driven limo in France and even a $227 linen jacket for one of Mrs. Easley’s aides, purchased in a French boutique and expensed as a “meal for four.”