While the thought of kicking Coach Joe White up to Raleigh from the CMS Board has justly garnered most of the attention — oh, how Peter Gorman must ache to get rid of Joe White — there’s another interesting wrinkle at play.
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| Tricia Cotham |
Just days after hearing Uptown Democratic Forum chair Pat Cotham apologize for Jim Black we find out her daughter, Tricia, would like to replace Jim Black. Tricia is currently an assistant principal at East Meck. In 2002 she was named CMS’ Most Oustanding First Year Teacher while at Northeast Middle.
Back then dad John Cotham was Mecklenburg County Democratic chairman. You may remember him from the aftermath of the Andrew Reyes scandal. Reyes, the gay former Mecklenburg County Democratic chairman who embezzled $3.6 million from a client and routed about $300,000 of that money to Democratic causes, went to prison for his activities.
As much $89,000 of Reyes’ stolen money went to the local Democratic Party and candidates. Cotham, while saying the party would “do the right thing,” compared the Reyes scandal to Enron and refused to commit to returning the ill-gotten loot or urging Democrat candidates to return it. Cotham stepped down from the chairmanship in February 2003 without ever having returned what the Uptown paper of record termed “tainted cash.”
Over the years Pat and John Cotham have been major Democratic donors themselves. Federal records show John Cotham, now president of York County Kubota, kicked off his political giving with $1,000 to John Edwards in 1998. His most recent donation is $1,000 to South Carolina congressman John Spratt last year.
Pat has also given to Spratt recently, has well as the state party and Hillary Clinton, FEC records show. In November 2005 she gave $1,000 to Jim Black’s campaign fund, the same amount given in September 2004 and August 2003 state records show.
Oh, and two recipient’s of Andrew Reyes’ dirty money just happen to want to replace Jim Black too. One would be former Meckelnburg County Commission Lloyd Scher, who got $1,500 from Reyes in 1998. The other? Coach Joe White, back when he ran for Charlotte city council.
Call it the gift that keeps on giving.
