The Jim Black crony that Jim Black put on the legislative payroll as House historian has produced a history that should never be read. So says Jim Black.

If that does not make you want to read whatever Ann Lassiter came up with, nothing will.

Black says state attorneys and the next Speaker need to decide if and when Lassiter’s work can be released to the public that paid for it. By all means, let’s spend more time and money cleaning up a Jim Black mess.

More: The N&O puts the price tag on the secret history at $75,000 and check out this helpful approach from a lawyer for the Down East kleptocracy:

Walker Reagan, a staff lawyer to the General Assembly, said the law protecting research for lawmakers applies in this case. The law says, however, that such records can become public with the lawmaker’s consent. It would also be public if distributed to a committee.

Reagan said the House history is a secret unless Black says otherwise: “It’s within his control.”

Reagan said he had reviewed the materials in general, but could not describe any specifics about them.

“I didn’t read the history,” he said. “I didn’t want to. I don’t even want to know what happened last year.”

Fabulous. North Carolina, America’s very own banana republic, in action.