Ex-N.C. House Speaker Admits Corruption

[glockmail]

By GARY D. ROBERTSON
The Associated Press
Thursday, February 15, 2007; 8:00 PM

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Former North Carolina House Speaker Jim Black pleaded guilty Thursday to accepting nearly $30,000 from three chiropractors while pushing for legislation they supported.

One day after resigning from the House, a somber Black appeared in a federal courtroom to plead guilty to a single count of accepting things of value in connection with the business of state government. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/15/AR2007021500911.html

Another corrupt Democrat. He gave over 50G to Mike Decker, a republican, to switch parties a while back, thereby tipping the majority in favor of the Democrats and then scoring the Speaker's position.

The man has balls! :laugh2:

[Gaffer]

They will get some liberal judge to hear the case and slap his wrist. And he'll still get his retirement package.

[glockmail]

They will get some liberal judge to hear the case and slap his wrist. And he'll still get his retirement package.

You forgot: this is North Carolina. We try people for murder if they kill someone when DUI.

[Gaffer]

You forgot: this is North Carolina. We try people for murder if they kill someone when DUI.

oops my bad.

[glockmail]

RALEIGH — Former House Speaker Jim Black agreed Tuesday to be sentenced for offering a bribe and obstructing justice, crimes that prosecutors tied in part to a party-switching scheme in 2003 that helped the four-term state House leader stay in power.

Wake County Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens did not immediately accept the plea, allowing prosecutors to first present evidence of Black’s crimes.

Randy Myers, an investigator for the state Bureau of Investigation, told the court that former Rep. Michael Decker requested $50,000 cash from Black to switch from the GOP to the Democratic Party. Black responded, Myers said, by offering campaign checks “because they’d be easier to explain away.”

Decker’s switch turned a one-vote Republican majority into a 60-60 tie, allowing Black to share power with his GOP counterpart in the House chamber.http://www.hendersonvillenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070220/NEWS06/70220002

Waht I'm really interested in is the Democrats to relinquish the power that they stole.

[glockmail]

oops my bad. Did you change your sceen name?

[glockmail]

RALEIGH - Former House Speaker Jim Black is heading to prison for 63 months after a federal judge sentenced him today on a corruption charge.
U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle sentenced Black for accepting $29,000 from chiropractors while pushing legislation that favored them. He also fined Black $50,000 and ordered him to serve three years on probation.

Black must report to prison by July 30. He stood and looked straight ahead as Boyle pronounced the sentence. He later left the courthouse and climbed into a black Acura MDX without saying a word.

"He earned every day of it," U.S. Attorney George Holding said. "Jim Black took corruption to a new level in North Carolina."

Good behavior could shorten Black's sentence by 15 percent, or nine and a half months.

His attorneys had argued that Black was "not a corrupt man" but had just made a mistake. They said prosecutors had years to prove their case and could find no other wrongdoing.

At the start of today's hearing, Black apologized to his family, fellow legislators and the people of North Carolina.

"I would like to take this opportunity to accept full responsibility for the mistakes I have made," he told Boyle. Black also referred to them as "stupid mistakes."

Black, 72, a Mecklenburg County Democrat and optometrist, pleaded guilty to the felony of illegally accepting things of value. He faced as much as 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The most powerful elected official in North Carolina history to be convicted of public corruption, Black served a record-tying four terms as speaker.

He is likely to want to serve his time in a federal prison camp that has dormitories, no fences and relatively few guards. The closest one to Black's home is at Maxwell Air Force Base near Montgomery, Ala. Many of the inmmates there work on the base.

The sentencing came after more than two years of investigation into Black's political and legislative dealings.

http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/jimblack/story/633483.html

[glockmail]

The former speaker of the N.C. House, Jim Black, was ordered yesterday to pay a $1 million fine on a state political-corruption charge.

Judge Donald Stephens of Wake Superior Court gave Black less than five months to pay the fine.

Stephens also sentenced Black to serve up to 10 months in prison, with the term to run concurrently with a five-year federal sentence that Black received earlier this year; he began serving that term Monday,
http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ/MGArticle/WSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352213950

[nevadamedic]

Corruption is the trademark of being a Democrat.

[glockmail]

"But the real intrigue began in 2002, when state Republicans regained control of the House by a razor-thin 61-59 margin. Black, then Speaker at the time, had no plans to hand over the job. Enter the International House of Pancakes and long-time state Republican Michael Decker. Meeting in the restroom of the chain made famous for providing 24-hour access to flapjacks, Black struck a quick deal. In exchange for $50,000 and some party perks, Decker would switch affiliations and support Black in his bid for Speaker. Decker declared his newfound transformation into a Democrat, pocketed his $50,000 in cash and campaign contributions ad Black landed a job as co-speaker. Keep in mind that these charges did not come up in his criminal case, but he has admitted in civil court to paying Decker to switch parties."

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003674.php

[glockmail]

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ/MGArticle/WSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352632448

Decker's now in jail for 4 years!!!!:coffee:

[JohnDoe]

but WHY would the owner of INTERNATIONAL PANCAKE HOUSE ask this man for or NEED 50k in order to switch parties? he's a multi millionaire?

what am i missing?

[glockmail]

but WHY would the owner of INTERNATIONAL PANCAKE HOUSE ask this man for or NEED 50k in order to switch parties? he's a multi millionaire?

what am i missing? You may want to re-read, becase the owner of IHOP has nothing to do with this, nor is Decker a millionaire.

[Monkeybone]

mmmmmmmmm....ihop. i just ate there a few days ago at about 3-4ish in the morning. with my best friend...and a stripper...it is all kinda hazy

[Yurt]

You forgot: this is North Carolina. We try people for murder if they kill someone when DUI.

Same in CA

[JohnDoe]

You may want to re-read, becase the owner of IHOP has nothing to do with this, nor is Decker a millionaire.

yep! i definately misunderstood!!!