Now we turn to the GOP portion of the ongoing criminal conspiracy that passes for state government.
The News and Observer reports this morning:
A federal subpoena recently served on a top aide to former House Speaker Richard Morgan seeks information on two prominent lobbyists and a well-known political consultant who had not been publicly connected with a nearly two-year investigation into public corruption.
The subpoena asks Sabra Faires, Morgan’s former chief of staff, for a variety of communications and campaign and financial ties between Faires and 26 “relevant parties.” Those parties include people who have surfaced in previous subpoenas, such as Morgan, former House Speaker Jim Black and former Rep. Michael Decker of Forsyth County.
The new names to surface are Donald Beason, the state’s top-ranked lobbyist who represents prominent clients such as BellSouth; BB&T; Progress Energy; Jay Rouse, the lobbyist for the N.C. Association of Electric Cooperatives; and Paul Shumaker, a political consultant who has long advised Morgan and his allies.
Investigators are, as ever, following the money. Money like the $240 million in tax breaks and incentives the Morgan-Black gang lavished on big contributors in 2004.
Shumaker is evincing surprise at his inclusion in the search for info. But the fact is that Morgan rarely made a political move without Shumaker’s input. Go back to the 2003 party convention in Charlotte, for example:
The Republican co-speaker of the state House said he signed off on the content of fliers that questioned the integrity of one fellow GOP lawmaker and described others as “an evil enemy.”
The glossy fliers, distributed to more than 500 delegates at Saturday’s state party convention in Charlotte, attacked a handful of lawmakers aligned against Richard Morgan, R-Moore.
The fliers said they were paid for by a group called Citizens for Honesty & Integrity. That name was given to be a new political action committee formed by Morgan’s consultant, Paul Shumaker. State elections officials received the group’s registration Monday. …
…Shumaker said he told Morgan and former Speaker Harold Brubaker, R-Randolph, another client, that “they needed a vehicle to fight back” against intra-party critics of Morgan’s power-sharing deal with Democrats.
The deal led to Morgan and Democratic Co-speaker Jim Black, D-Mecklenburg, sharing the top position in the state House. The House GOP caucus had endorsed Rep. Leo Daughtry, R-Johnston. Many Republicans believe Morgan’s deal cost them a chance to control the House outright. …
…The pro-Morgan fliers, which appeared on delegates’ chairs before the vote, intensified already-heated emotions.
One attacked Daughtry and four others who vocally opposed the power-sharing. It accused them of “undermining and dividing our party” with “backroom deals” and “slight-of-hand tactics.” …
…The fliers praised Morgan and Brubaker, saying they have “a proven track record of service.”
Shumaker said the material cost “less than $3,000” but declined to say who paid for it. Elections officials say the group is required to report contributions within 10 days of registering or raising or spending any money.
State election records show that Citizens for Honesty & Integrity winked out of existence in 2005 after collecting $700 from unnamed contributors and still owing $2200 to Lisella Public Affairs in Charleston. Mark Lisella, like Shumaker, is long-time consultant for Sen. Richard Burr. So much for the slight-of-hand.
The truly hysterical thing is that on the occasion of the state party convention last month in Charlotte, Shumaker was all about the need for unity and not ideology.
Why, yes, of course. The flinty pragmatism of the Morgan-Black gang worked so well for North Carolina and Mecklenburg County. The only rule Jim Black governed by was: Did the check clear?
