Told ya things were getting weird in Raleigh.
The exact nature Speaker Jim Black’s relationship with former staffer Meredith Norris, long a topic of discussion in the state’s political circles, is getting an airing in a Raleigh courtroom. The N&O reports:
A federal judge today agreed to let prosecutors question House Speaker Jim Black about his “personal relationship” with Meredith Norris, a former aide to Black who later worked as a lobbyist for lottery vendor Scientific Games.
Prosecutor John Bruce made the request after Black repeatedly testified this morning that he could not recall whether the lottery or the state lottery commission were discussed at a dinner on Sept. 21, 2005, that Black had with Norris and Alan Middleton, then the top lobbyist for Scientific Games.
Prosecutors contend that Black decided at that dinner at a North Raleigh restaurant to name Geddings to the commission.
“I remember very little about that,” Black said of the dinner. “I have so many meetings with so many people, and I’m not thinking about anything but it being the end of the day and having dinner and a cocktail.”
After a break in Black’s testimony, Bruce argued that Black’s relationship with Norris would make him reluctant to disclose anything that “would incriminate Meredith Norris, Alan Middleton and him in this co-venture.”
Bruce also said that prosecutors could show that the relationship between Black and Norris “impacted governmental decisions, including this one.”
Bruce had better be right about that because he runs the risk of turning off the jury in a big way if it appears he is merely trying to embarrass Jim Black. On the other hand, Bruce is essentially telling Black and his attorney, do not worry about shading your testimony to conceal any personal relationship with Norris — we’re going to go ahead and get that out in the open to begin with.
As for the bit about having evidence that the relationship between Black and Norris “impacted governmental decisions” — Bruce is either pulling an all-time bluff or the feds really do have something pretty air-tight.
Update: The Uptown paper of record’s account adds this important wrinkle to the day’s testimony on exactly when Black decided to appoint Kevin Geddings to the lotto commission. Prosecutors say it was following a dinner with Norris and another Scientific Games lobbyist. Black denies this and the suggestion that he was influenced by anyone to pick Geddings:
“I know where this is going,” Black said during a terse exchange with Assistant U.S. Attorney John Bruce. “No one was influencing me as to who I was going to appoint.”
