Thomas Edward Wright (born August 7, 1955) was a Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives who represented the state's eighteenth district, including constituents in New Hanover and Pender counties, from 1992 to 2008. An EMS instructor from Wilmington, North Carolina,[1] Wright was serving his eighth term in the House when he was expelled from that chamber in 2008. A jury subsequently convicted him of corruption and embezzlement, sending him to jail for a 6-8 year term.
In 2007, the North Carolina State Board of Elections launched an investigation of Wright's campaign finances. The board recommended that Wright be prosecuted. Information revealed in the board's hearings led to calls for Wright to resign.