BUSTED: Trump-loving North Carolina GOP chairman indicted on wire fraud and bribery charges

Robin Hayes, the chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, was indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday on charges of wire fraud and bribery.

Local news station WBTV reports that Hayes was arrested on charges that "center around a wealthy Durham businessman named Greg Lindberg, who has been under the microscope of federal investigators for white collar crimes related to his business empire and, later, for contributions he made to politicians in North Carolina."

Both Hayes and Lindberg were indicted on wire fraud charges related to efforts to bribe NC Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey, who is not being charged in the scheme.

According to WBTV, the North Carolina GOP is alleged to have illegally funneled a $240,000 donation made by Lindberg to Causey. The party has maintained for weeks that the donation was legal because it was made independent of Lindberg's direction, but a secret recording revealed that Lindberg and Hayes had conspired to pass the money to Causey via the North Carolina Republican Party.

The North Carolina GOP has also come under fire after one of its candidates employed an operative who engaged in a ballot-harvesting scheme that has forced the declaration of a new election in the state's 9th congressional district.