jim black

In a self-congratulatory display worthy of kids on an elementary school playground, the do-nothing Republican Party spent the weekend giving atta-boys to John Rhodes and Fern Shubert, two early and persistent critics of Jim Black.

I'll grant that these two members of the NCPOG were instrumental in starting the Black ball rolling, but don't the Greeders have anything better to do than celebrate a guy like Rhodes, who apparently can't walk and chew gum at the same time?

Rhodes lost his seat in last year's GOP primary to a challenger who said his dustups at the Legislature had prevented him from getting work done for his northern Mecklenburg County district. A nonpartisan research firm ranked Rhodes as the least effective House member in 2005.

 
This morning the News & Observer's Under the Dome observes:

that [Jim] Black wants to cooperate with authorities and his doing so could make others "uncomfortable."

Black is motivated to share what he knows and try to avoid prison time, [Kenneth] Bell [Black's attorney] said. Black faces a maximum of 10 years on the corruption charge.

As I sat in both courtrooms while Black pleaded guilty, his voice growing quieter at every response, my heart was hoping that these events would bring closure to a sad era in State politics but my head was telling me otherwise. The evidence presented barely hinted at the evidence "unpresented" or the permutations of lines that were tripped over, if not stepped over, by various legislators and contributors associated with Black.

Who here is tired of Jim Black news? We're getting bombarded in Charlotte and I feel the need to share with you. I'm nice that way. heh

There have been two recent articles that are worth reading. The first includes tidbits about the ongoing investigation. It was actually in Saturday's paper so I missed it. Apologies if you've seen this already.

More below the fold...

The Charlotte Observer is reporting that Jim Black will enter an Alford plea to charges in state court. The problem is, nobody seems to know what he's charged with.

It was unclear early Monday as to what specific charges Black would plead, but they are expected to be felonies, according to one source. Prosecutors are expected to put witnesses on the stand and present a variety of evidence during the hearing, the sources said.

An Alford plea allows a person to in effect enter a guilty plea without admitting guilt. The paper says Black will be sentenced as if he were guilty.

The article can be found at the Observer at this link.

More Charlotte news below the fold...

In a somber proceeding that lasted a little under an hour Jim Black enter a plea of guilty at 1.30pm to a charge of accepting some $25,000 in cash payments and other in-kind payments from North Carolina chiropractors between 2000 and 2005 while acting as an agent of the State. During this period Black caused legislation to be written and influenced the progress of legislation dealing with the chiropractic profession. A basis of the Federal charge was that these matters involved more than $10,000 in annual expenditures by the Federal government to the State of North Carolina and in particular, Medicaid payments.

The cash payments received by Black included amounts that were deposited personally by Black and not reported to the State Board of Elections. The cash was exchanged in gatherings at private dining clubs and restaurants in Charlotte and Concord. Four separate occasions were noted for amounts of $8,000, $10,000, $4,000, and $3,000 with the latter two exchanged in bathrooms including one accepted with the advisory that "This is just between me and you".

http://andrewjacksondem.com

With Jim Black gone from the scene, a serious look at the reaction of Democratic Party officials across the state must be made. Throughout this scandal, Democratic Party Chair Jerry Meek, Governor Mike Easley, Lt. Gov. Bev Purdue, and the rest of the Demcrats on the Council of State refused to ask Black to step aside. Often times, these individuals used a very short measuring stick when asked about Black's political troubles brushing them off by saying, "he has done nothing illegal."

As Democrats, I am proud of our party's tradition of standing up to public corruption by seeking to uphold the trust people have placed in their elected officials. Sadly, North Carolina Democrats and their elected leaders within the party and public realm failed to act during Black's troubles, tarnishing the image of "the party of reform."

A wire report says that former Speaker Jim Black has resigned (though not in person) during this afternoons State House session.

It comes a day after The Charlotte Observer reported that he will plead guilty to a federal corruption charge.

Black's resignation letter was read by a clerk of the House during the chamber's afternoon floor session. He was not in the chamber when the letter was read.

Via WXII.com.

Jim Black’s predicament is due in part to State Representative Thomas Wright. If Wright had not helped orchestrate support of the Legislative Black Caucus, Jim Black might never have become Speaker of the House. Anglico wrote about the connection between Black and Wright in an earlier post Tangled Web and as I wrote in comments to that post Thomas Wright is the highest ranking Africa American in the State House because of that connection.

Thomas Wright is back in the spotlight in his own right and more so with the announcement of Jim Black’s Federal plea and, expected State pleas.

Wright has been too busy to file a response to a complaint about late reporting of campaign contributions which hid his relationship with Sims Hugo Neu

In an article in the Wilmington Star, February 2, Mark Schreiner writes

The elections board wrote Wright on Dec. 12 to tell him about the complaint and offer an opportunity to provide a response. The board's request that it be made by Jan. 17 was extended to Jan. 31 at Wright's request.

A lot will be said and written today about Jim Black and our turn-of-the-century corruption scandal.

I'll start throwing links into this post as things turn up.

From the Char-O reaction story:

"It's a sad day for Mecklenburg. He has been a major contributor, but if he's guilty of a crime he's got to pay for it. I don't think his motivation was avarice or self-aggrandizement. In his view he was doing what's good for Mecklenburg. But what he did was wrong and he's got to pay for it." PAT COTHAM, Chair of Charlotte's Uptown Democratic Forum

Jerry Meek in the N&O

"It's unfortunate that this is the ending that comes to a man who has spent so much of his career serving the people of North Carolina," N.C. Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Meek said Tuesday night.

We've been hearing rumors for weeks, and as of 8:15pm Tuesday evening, the rumors are apparently true.

The Charlotte Observer is reporting that Jim Black will plead guilty to one count of accepting illegal gratuities.

"Since somebody is talking who shouldn't have and has leaked what's happened, I will confirm that Dr. Black will enter a guilty plea to accepting illegal gratuities in federal court on Thursday," [Black's attorney, Charlotte lawyer Kenneth Bell] said.

According to The Observer, this felony charge could carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Black will have to resign his seat and it will be left to the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party executive committee to fill the vacancy.