Michael Francis Easley is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 72nd Governor of North Carolina from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a district attorney and as the state's Attorney General from 1993 to 2001. During his governorship, he focused on education reform, establishing the "More at Four" pre-kindergarten program and raising teacher salaries. After leaving office, he faced legal issues regarding campaign finances but later returned to private law practice.