N.C. House Speaker Jim Black’s former political director says she never saw blank checks connected with the speaker’s political campaign.
Meredith Norris worked in Black’s office through 2002, then took over the job as his poltical director. Her name has been mentioned as a central figure in ongoing state and federal investigations linked to lobbying and the creation of the state lottery.
Norris testified that at one time, she served as Black’s “primary fund-raiser.” During that time, she testified that she did not recall seeing any checks delivered to the Black campaign with the name of the “payee” left blank. “I have never seen that, in my recollection.”
At a later point, she said, “No, they didn’t cross my path.”
Norris also examined several pages of incomplete checks introduced as evidence in the two days of hearings. She testified that she could not identify the handwriting or printing on any of the checks.
Norris now works under a contract with the N.C. Partnership for Economic Development. She worked as Black’s unpaid poltical director until last year, when media reports questioned her ties to both the Black campaign and groups that hoped to lobby state legislators.
