And when did he know it?
The N&O documents another assertion from Speaker Jim Black’s camp that Black did not know that Kevin Geddings had been on the payroll of Scientific Games when Black nominated Geddings to the board of North Carolina’s new lotto.
Additional tidbits on the Matthews Democrat via email from Scientific Games’ chief lobbyist, Alan Middleton:
In the e-mail messages, introduced as evidence by federal prosecutors, Middleton called Black “a pit bull” when it came to gaining passage of lottery legislation in the House in April 2005 — the biggest hurdle the bill faced — and said Black promised to later remove advertising restrictions in the bill that the company didn’t like.
Recall that a major selling-point of North Carolina’s edu-lotto was that it was going to be “soft-sell,” there would be no ads calling on residents to come out and gamble. Legislators are now stumbling all over themselves trying to explain away Black’s double-dealing.
But that is just par for the course for the Down East kleptocracy in Raleigh.
