Last Sunday, the Raleigh News & Observer detailed how House Speaker Jim Black used funds he personally controls to pay for a state job for former Rep. Michael Decker. That was just the start. This multi-pronged story about legislative leaders developed this week, thanks in part to Don Carrington’s ongoing investigative work. On Thursday, his CJ Exclusive added a new element by uncovering NC DOT Secretary Lyndo Tippett’s diversion of millions of highway dollars from projects whose needs are verified, to pet projects of Black and Senate President Pro-Tem Marc Basnight. Since then, multiple media outlets have put two and two together and are investigating and reporting on what we now know are multiple slush funds controlled by Black, Basnight and Rep. Richard Morgan. Thursday night, WRAL-TV interviewed Carrington, Basnight and former governor Jim Hunt about the pattern of behavior. On Friday, a Charlotte Observer story included a recap of CJ’s DOT story and this quote from John Hood: “The last time I checked, we had a billion-dollar deficit. If we have a billion-dollar budget deficit, what business do legislators have tucking away $20 million into pork barrel accounts for Black, Basnight and Morgan? Presumably, we have much more important priorities to address.” The Winston-Salem Journal also carried a piece, as did the Daily Advance of Elizabeth City, which referenced CJ in its front-page story. Friday afternoon, Carrington appeared on WTKF’s “Lockwood Phillips” show to explain the details. Back in 1997, Carrington exposed a similar slush fund used by legislative leaders.
